Dragon's Fire
by xstormwolf
Summary: Momo is kidnapped by Aizen, and its up to Hitsugaya to rescue her!On the way, he will have to deal with his inner Hollow, not to mention Aizen's army and of course, Aizen himself. HitsuxHina, please read and review!
1. The beginning

**Hi everybody!!!**

**This is my very first fanfic, so please read and review it.**

**HitsuxHina.**

**I don't own Bleach or any of its characters :(**

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It was only 9:00 in the morning and Hitsugaya Toshiro was annoyed. However, this was a normal state of being for the young captain of the 10th division, as he had to deal with hollows, paperwork, and more paperwork, not to mention his fuku-taicho Matsumoto—who was famous both for her love of partying and her numerous and inventive ways to avoid doing her share of said paperwork— all on a daily basis.

Currently, Hitsugaya was sitting at his desk in the 10th division's administrative office, glaring at the mountainous pile in front of him. Where was Matsumoto when he needed her? No doubt, she was still sleeping in her room, after a night of going wild with her many drinking buddies. The white-haired captain was just starting to pull some papers over to him so that he could begin the day's work when he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Good morning Shiro-chan!" called Hinamori Momo, Hitsugaya's childhood friend and the fuku-taicho of the 5th division.

"What do you want Bed-wetter Momo?" Hitsugaya retorted. "And how many times do I have to tell you, it's NOT Shiro-chan, it's Hitsugaya-taicho!!!"

Ignoring him as usual, Hinamori walked over to his desk, and perched on the edge. "I just came over to say hi Shiro-chan, that's not against the law, is it?" the female shinigami replied. Hitsugaya was about to respond when he heard the voice.

"Taichoooooooooooooo!!!" exclaimed Matsumoto, as she walked into the room. The strawberry-blonde shinigami took in the sight of Hinamori sitting on her captain's desk and her blue eyes went wide. "Why taicho, is there something going on between you and Momo that you didn't tell me about?" she asked, pouting.

Hitsugaya groaned. The day was not starting out good. However it was only going to get worse. "I'll just leave you two alone together, ok?" smiled Matsumoto, winking at Momo, who blushed fiercely. Matsumoto made her way back towards the exit, no doubt eager to rush off and tell somebody the news. Hitsugaya shot her a death glare, which would have sent anybody else running for cover, but his fuku-taicho ignored it. As she left the room, Hitsugaya heard the distinct sound of furniture being piled up against the door, Matsumoto's solution to making sure that the two "lovebirds" stayed put.

The young prodigy sighed; it was not going to be a good day. "Come on Momo," he said, as he saw an escape route. "Let's go out the window". After checking to make sure that his zanpaku-to, Hyorinmaru, was securely strapped to his back, Hitsugaya vaulted athletically over the windowsill, and landed softly on the ground below. Momo heaved a sigh, and even though the look in her eyes showed that she wouldn't have minded being trapped in the room with the white-haired captain a little while longer, she followed her friend outside.

Muttering darkly about how he was going to murder his fuku-taicho when he found her, Hitsugaya was about to stalk off, when he was stopped by the arrival of a hell butterfly. The black-winged creature landed on his finger.

"All captains and vice-captains are to report to Division 1 for a meeting," the butterfly said in a high pitched voice, before it flapped its wings and took to the sky again.

"Come on, Shiro-chan, we'd better go," said Momo. "I wonder if it has something to do with Aizen-taicho," she whispered softly. The hope in her voice was unmistakable, even though Aizen had stabbed both her and Hitsugaya and left them to die (A/N: this story takes place after Aizen betrayed SS, though before the Winter War).

Hitsugaya too hoped that the meeting would be about Aizen, though for a different reason. _When I get my hands on that treacherous bastard…_ he thought murderously. He heard Hyorinmaru's empathetic agreement in his mind, both zanpaku-to and wielder wanted their revenge on the man who **haId** betrayed them all.

Both lost in thought, Hitsugaya and Momo shunpoed their way towards the 1st division.

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**I hope that you like my story so far, please review!!!**


	2. The meeting

The 10 remaining captains of the Gotei 13 along with all of the lieutenants stood in the 1st division's meeting room, with old man Yammamoto presiding over them as always.

"Following the defection of former captains Aizen Souske, Ichimaru Gin, and Tosen Kaname, we have to face the fact that Soul Society is facing its biggest threat yet. With the impending attack of those traitors and their army of Arrancar, we have to train like we've never trained before." said the commander of the entire Soul Society, after the demise of the Central 46 at the hands of Aizen and his followers.

Hitsugaya zoned out, all too aware of the time it usually took for things to get done around this place. He sensed Matsumoto's presence behind him; he still hadn't forgiven her for her little joke this morning, and he fantasized about the piles of work he was going to make her do when this stupid meeting was over.

"…preparations…extra training…Winter War…everybody must be…" Only a few words of the sou-taicho's speech managed to penetrate Hitsugaya's tired brain. Looking down the lines of captains and lieutenants, Hitsugaya's piercing green gaze stopped on Momo. The brown-haired fuku-taicho was looking nervous, no doubt all the talk of war against her former captain was getting to her. But feeling his eyes upon her, she looked up and gave him a weary smile.

Looking at her made Hitsugaya long for the old days, before Aizen, back when they had been really close. Aizen's betrayal had pushed them apart, and Hitsugaya remembered bitterly that day when Momo had chosen Aizen over him, her oldest friend.

…_I don't want to believe it either!! But that's what Aizen-taicho wrote!! I have to do this for Aizen-taicho!!_ Crying as she spoke, as she pointed her zanpaku-to at him, as her hands gripped the hilt so hard they bled._ I don't know what to do anymore Shiro-chan!!_

But all that was in the past now, he had forced her to see the truth of Aizen's betrayal. And he had sworn to himself that he would kill Aizen Souske with his own hands, and make him pay for what he had done.

_**Hitsugaya,**_ said Hyorinmaru suddenly in his mind. _** I sense a dark presence approaching us.**_

_What!!! _exclaimed Hitsugaya. _Can you tell who, Hyorinmaru?_(A/N: hehe, that rhymes)

_**No.**_ replied the ice dragon._** Only that he is arriving with a malicious intent.**_

But before Hitsugaya had time to warn the others, disaster struck. And the name of the disaster was…everybody's favorite foxed-faced, silver-haired ex-captain (who is also, coincidentally, the _only_ foxed-faced, silver-haired ex-captain): Ichimaru Gin.

With his trademark grin upon his face, the ex-leader of the 3rd squad emerged from a portal (A/N: sorry, I forgot what the name is for the gates that the Arrancar use to go to/from Hueco Mundo).

Seeing everybody else still gaping in surprise (the sight of Yammamoto sou-taicho with his jaw dropping almost to the floor was especially priceless), Hitsugaya reached behind him for Hyorinmaru, ready to kick some smiling ass. After all, he had a grudge against Ichimaru too.

But before Hitsugaya could act, Ichimaru did first. The ex-captain quickly shunpoed over towards Hinamori, and held his zanpaku-to up to her throat.

"Hiya everybody" Ichimaru grinned. "Nobody draw your weapons 'k? I wouldn't want my sword ta slip 'cause ya startled me, now would I?"

With glares, the assorted shinigami released their grips on their zanpaku-tos. Hitsugaya eyed Ichimaru angrily, wondering if he could freeze the traitor before he did something else, but decided not to risk it. Reluctantly, he let go of Hyorinmaru.

"What do you want here, Ichimaru?!" thundered Yammamoto.

"Now that's no way ta start a conversation, sou-taicho-san," smiled Ichimaru. "But if ya really want ta know, I came here 'cause Aizen-sama requests the presence of li'l Hinamori-chan here."

"You bastard!" hissed Hitsugaya. "Put her down!!"

Ichimaru smirked. "Ooh, mini-taicho's getting angry. Scary, scary…'fraid I can't comply though. What Aizen-sama wants, Aizen-sama gets. But don't worry, mini-taicho-san, I'll bring her back, tho I can't promise ya she'll still be in one piece. Dragging a struggling Momo, the traitor walked calmly back to the portal, and disappeared. The portal closed behind them, leaving Hitsugaya staring in shock at the spot where his best friend had vanished.

Momo was gone. That was all Hitsugaya could think about. Momo was gone. Momo was captured. Captured by Aizen. _Momoooooo!!!_ he screamed inwardly, but it was too late. She really was gone, and it felt like all the life had been sucked out of him.


	3. The decision

**_Chapter 3, enjoy, and review!!!_**

Momo was gone.

That was all Hitsugaya could think about. Instantly, Hyorinmaru was in his head, offering sympathy, along as comfort and plans of revenge. But even though Hitsugaya heard the words, he couldn't comprehend them.

Momo was gone.

The young captain was shaking with rage, his green eyes icy with hate. He was going to go to Las Noches and rescue Hinamori. And then he would make Aizen pay. And Ichimaru. And anybody else who tried to stop him.

"Hitsugaya-taicho!"

Hitsugaya, lost in his angry thoughts, was unable to hear his name being urgently spoken.

"Hitsugaya-taicho!!"

"HITSUGAYA-TAICHO!!!"

"Huh?" the white-haired captain asked, jolting back to the present.

"Control yourself!!!" ordered Yammamoto-sou-taicho.

"Huh?" Hitsugaya repeated. "Oh" he said, as he looked around him. The air in the meeting room had dropped to sub-zero temperatures, and everything had been covered by a thick layer of ice. Large snowflakes had settled on everybody present, including Yammamoto-sou-taicho, who looked like more like Santa Claus (minus the red suit and jolly grin) then the supreme ruler of the Gotei 13.

As Hitsugaya pulled his escaped reiatsu back into himself, the room slowly began to thaw.

"My apologies," he said to the group. "I got a little…worked up."

"That's quite alright Hitsugaya-kun!" said Captain Ukitake, smiling like he almost got frozen solid every day. The other captains did not seem to agree, though they thankfully kept their comments to themselves.

"Are you okay, taicho?" asked Matsumoto worriedly from behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"No, damn it, I am not okay!" snarled Hitsugaya. "Hinamori's been kidnapped by that bastard Aizen, and I want to know what we are going to do about getting her back!"

Silence greeted his outburst. Hitsugaya became suddenly aware of all the shinigami present staring at him as if he was crazy and shut up.

"As an answer to your question, Hitsugaya-taicho, we aren't going to do anything.

"WHAT?" exclaimed Hitsugaya angrily. The room temperature began to drop again.

"No doubt, Aizen has taken Hinamori-fuku-taicho to his stronghold of Las Noches." The sou-taicho replied. "As his entire army is located there, it would suicide to even attempt to go. Hinamori-fuku-taicho was a dedicated shinigami who understood the risks of opposing Aizen. She would not want you to risk your life for her, while Aizen is still a threat to the entire Soul Society, as well as the human world.

"Was?" hissed Hitsugaya. "Why are you talking about her as if she's dead?"

"I'm sorry for your loss, Hitsugaya-taicho," said the sou-taicho calmly "but there is nothing that we can do."

The old man and the young boy locked eyes for a moment. Snowflakes swirled around the room. Finally, Hitsugaya broke eye contact.

"As you wish," he said icily and left the room, snowflakes trailing behind him.

**_Don't worry, I'm not that heartless, Hitsugaya is determined to save Momo. But how? Find out next time! Plz review_**


	4. the journey begins

**Chapter 4 is up, PLEASE and review, it makes me feel like all of this is worth !**

"Shiro-chan!" Momo called, but it was too late. Ichimaru had pulled her into the portal with him. There was a flash of light, and when Momo opened her eyes, she was looking at the man who she both loved and hated, the man who had changed her life forever; Aizen Souske.

"Aizen-taicho," she whispered, not noticing that she had called him taicho, even though he had betrayed the whole Soul Society.

He smiled at her, and so many emotions flowed her that she didn't know what to think.

"Welcome to Las Noches, Hinamori-kun."

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"_I'm sorry for your loss, Hitsugaya-taicho," said the sou-taicho calmly "but there is nothing that we can do."_

_The old man and the young boy locked eyes for a moment. Snowflakes swirled around the room. Finally, Hitsugaya broke eye contact._

"_As you wish," he said icily and left the room, snowflakes trailing behind him._

The assembled shinigami watched Hitsugaya as he departed the meeting with a rush of freezing air trailing behind him.

"You know, Yama-jii, the kid's going to go to Hueco Mundo no matter what," stated Captain Kyoraku.

Yammamoto-sou-taicho sighed heavily. Soul Society could not afford to lose another captain, but he knew that Hitsugaya was determined to save his friend, and would fight with all of his power against those who tried to prevent him from his goal. Even if they were other captains.

"Kuchiki-taicho! Abarai-fuku-taicho!" The two mentioned looked at him for orders. "Follow Hitsugaya-taicho and assist him however possible. But try to avoid all unnecessary battles"

Kuchiki-taicho nodded, and Renji exclaimed "Hai sou-taicho!"

"Wait!" Everybody turned to look at the speaker. It was Matsumoto. "Let me go with you!"

Captain Kuchiki glanced at Yammamoto who nodded. Giving him a nod in return, Byakuya beckoned to the 2 fuku-taichos, and they all disappeared.

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Hitsugaya stormed out of the room and into the night, not even noticing the miniature blizzard that surrounded him as he shunpoed away. _As if that old man could stop me from getting Momo back, _he thought angrily. _I just hope I'm not too late._

Shortly, the icy captain arrived at his destination, the 12th squad barracks. He knew that Kurotsuchi-taicho had been working on a device that created portals similar to the ones the Arrancar used to travel to and from Hueco Mundo. After searching for what seemed like forever through the laboratory, he finally found the object, a small sphere that glowed from within. Snatching it, he ran back outside and breathed a sigh of relief. That place had given him the creeps.

_Now how do I work this thing?_ he asked himself. Focusing his reiatsu, Hitsugaya poured it into the sphere until it started to glow. The little ball then expanded into a large circle made from light. Looking through it, Hitsugaya could see the black sky and deserted white sand of Hueco Mundo.

The white-haired captain touched the zanpaku-to on his back, feeling the comforting presence of Hyorinmaru steady him. Then, taking a deep breath to give himself courage, he jumped into the portal. _Momo, here I come, _Hisugaya thought. _I'll save you—no matter what it takes._

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An Arrancar burst into Aizen's throne room. "Sorry to disturb you Aizen-sama, but as you predicted, the boy is coming."

"Excellent," Aizen smiled, his brown eyes cold. "We are about to have another guest. Gin, please make sure that he is welcomed properly."

"As ya wish, Aizen-sama."

**PLEASE review, it makes me feel like all of this is worth it.**


	5. the ambush

**Hi everybody, it's chapter 5! Now the action really starts to happen, so be prepared!**

**I am dedicating this chapter to Renji's Girll, for the following 3 reasons.**

**1. you were the first person to review my story.**

**2. You left not 1, but 3 nice comments.**

**3. You made me feel so happy and appreciated that i went around all day in a good mood, and nothing could burst my bubble.**

**So thank you, Renji's Girll!!!**

**Also, thanks to Shadow Typhoon, for reviewing. your story Dark Ice, was the very first story that i read on this site, and it makes me really happy to knw that you like my story too. **

**Anyway, I don't own Bleach, blah blah blah.**

**btw, bold type either means Hyorinmaru's thoughts or me speaking to you. its probably easy to tell which is which though.**

**Read, review and enjoy!!!**

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"_Sorry to disturb you Aizen-sama, but as you predicted, the boy is coming."_

"_Excellent," Aizen smiled, his brown eyes cold. "We are about to have another guest. Gin, please make sure that he is welcomed properly."_

"_As ya wish, Aizen-sama."_

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Hitsugaya ran through the portal of light. His mind had descended into an icy calm rage. _Momo, I'm going to save you, no matter what._

Some distance behind him, Captain Kuchiki, Renji, and Matsumoto followed. Matsumoto was full of worry for her captain, even though she knew he could take care of himself. But she couldn't help remember the last time that the little captain had faced Gin and Aizen alone. He had lost. Badly.

_That won't happen again,_ she promised herself. _He's trained, I've trained, we've all become so much stronger. I understand why you left me behind, taicho. You thought that I would place the Soul Society over you. But you were wrong. You have always been there for me when I needed you. After Gin abandoned me, you helped me get back up on my feet. My loyalty lies with you first, and Yammamoto-sou-taicho second. It's the job of a fuku-taicho to watch their taicho's back, so that's what I'm going to do._

The end of the tunnel was approaching. Hitsugaya could feel the hot, dry wind of Hueco Mundo blow past him, ruffling his white hair. Then suddenly, he was there. In Hueco Mundo, the stronghold of his greatest enemy. His bright green eyes scanned the desert. There was no sign of life, the sand was deserted (A/N: hehe, a deserted desert, I just had to write that). It seemed that his arrival had gone unnoticed.

_**Wait. What was that?**_Spinning around, Hitsugaya placed his hand on Hyorinmaru's hilt. _Where? _he asked his zanpaku-to_. __**I'm not sure, maybe—**_

Then Hitsugaya saw them. Arrancar were appearing on the previously empty sand. As he turned in a circle, the young captain saw that he was completely surrounded.

_Shit, _he thought. _Where did they all come from?_ _It's almost like they were expecting me…_

_**Forget about it for now, here they come!!!**_ called Hyorinmaru. **Are** _**you ready?**_

_Always, _Hitsugaya replied. He drew Hyorinmaru and held the zanpaku-to above his head.

"Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyorinmaru!"

The great ice dragon appeared and swooped towards the approaching Arrancar. As the dragon froze the first row solid, Hitsugaya dashed towards them. His sword quickly smashed the frozen Arrancar and made quick work of the next few. Spinning around like a top, he lashed out with his sword, cleaving a path of destruction through the ranks, while taking little damage in return. He was a captain after all. The Arrancar evaporated as he slashed at them, and soon they were almost all gone.

However, Hitsugaya's problems had only just begun. More Arrancar began to arrive, and he was soon surrounded again, by what seemed like twice the original number. And these Arrancar were stronger than the ones that he had just dispatched. They attacked him in groups, so that while he was focusing on one, another struck at him from behind. Soon, the young captain was bleeding badly from multiple wounds.

And that wasn't the worst of it either.

"Welcome ta Hueco Mundo, mini-taicho-san, I hope yer findin' it ta ya likin'. We sen' out a special welcome party just for ya."

Hitsugaya recognized that voice all too well. "Ichimaru, you bastard, what did you do to Momo?" he hissed.

"Now, dontcha worry 'bout a thing, mini-taicho-san. Aizen-sama's very happy ta see Hinamori-kun again. He's takin' very good care o' her."

"Bastard!" snarled Hitsugaya. "You're going to pay for kidnapping her."

"Ya should put ya money where ya mouth is, mini-taicho-san," smirked Gin. "'Member what happened las' time?"

Hitsugaya didn't even bother to respond. Instead he called on his zanpaku-to's ultimate release.

"Bankai!" Ice surrounded Hitsugaya, forming two dragon wings and a tail, as 3 four-petaled flowers appeared above his head. "Daiguren Hyorinmaru!"

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"Taicho!" whispered Matsumoto, as she and her companions raced through the portal, feeling her captain's reiatsu grow to an astonishing height. _Hang on, taicho, we're coming!_ She thought as they sped up, nearing their goal.

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"You're dead, Ichimaru!" Hitsugaya growled. "Hyorinmaru!" he called, and the ice dragon erupted from his blade and sped towards Ichimaru, who was calmly standing there with his ever-present smile upon his face, unphased by the great dragon flying towards him.

As he was about to get hit by the full power of Hitsugaya's bankai, Ichimaru's normally slitted eyes opened slightly, showing a brief glimpse of crimson irises (A/N: Ichimaru's eyes are described as all different types of colors, but I thought red made him seem more creepy, and this is my story, so red they are).

"Shoot him, Shinso." Ichimaru's zanpaku-to extended, splitting the ice dragon down the middle. 2 roaring columns of water rushed past Ichimaru, leaving him unscathed. One of Hitsugaya's flowers exploded, the petals disintegrating into vapor. "Ya gonna have ta try a lot harder if ya wanna cut me, Hitsugaya-chan," sneered Gin. "But it doesn't matter anyway."

"What are you talking about, Ichimaru?" asked Hitsugaya, puzzled.

"Well, ya see, Aizen-sama has got plans for ya, and I gotta take ya ta him."

"Well, if Aizen wants me, he can come and get me himself!" retorted Hisugaya.

"Well, if ya ain't gonna come quietly, then I guess I got no choice but ta make ya." replied Ichimaru. Quick as a fox, he leapt towards Hitsugaya, who dodged the blow.

"Is that all you got, Ichimaru?" asked Hitsugaya, attacking in turn. But before, the battle could escalate further, another person appeared behind Hitsugaya.

"This senseless battle has gone on long enough! Sing, Suzumushi!" The blade chimed a single pure note, and Hitsugaya instantly kneeled over. His bankai disappeared as its wielder lost consciousness. However, before Hitsugaya completely lost awareness, he had time for one final thought.

_Momo, I'm so sorry._

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**Sorry Shiro-chan, you are my favorite character and i hate writting about you getting beat up, but it had to be done :(. **

**i also take some sadistical pleasure in creating suspense, so plz forgive me. **

**no worries, i'm working on the next chapter right now, and it should be up soon. **

**plz review, tell me how i did on writting my first ever fight scene. constructive critism is welcomed, as i have many more similar scenes to write for upcoming battles.**

**anyway, peace out, see you soon!**

**stormwolf 527**


	6. the hogyoku

**Chapter 6, as always, enjoy and review.**

**I do not own Bleach, Kubo Tite is one lucky (and rich)man.**

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_Momo, I'm so sorry._

That was Hitsugaya's last thought before he slipped into darkness. His injured body fell back through the air, but was caught by Ichimaru before he hit the ground.

"Now, Tosen," the fox-faced ex-captain said, holding the unconscious Hitsugaya in his arms like a doll. "Why'd ya hav' ta go an' do that for? Me an' mini-taicho were gonna hav' some fun, and then ya come an' spoil it."

Tosen Kaname, ex-captain of the 9th division said nothing. He seemed to be focusing on something far in the distance, though that was hard to tell as his eyes were hidden as always by reflective sunglasses. He sheathed his zanpaku-to, Suzumushi, whose ability he had used to knock out Hitsugaya and finally replied "Aizen-sama wishes the presence of the boy immediately. There was no need to prolong such a useless battle when it might interfere with Aizen-sama's plans."

"That so?" asked Ichimaru, but he did not appear to want an answer. Instead, the silver-haired man adjusted the unconscious boy in his arms and shunpoed away, Tosen following.

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"No!" gasped Matsumoto as she, Renji and Captain Kuchiki emerged from the portal into the bleak landscape of Hueco Mundo. She had recognized a certain ex-captain as he shunpoed away, with an even more distinct white-haired figure lying unconscious in his arms and dripping blood.

"Taicho!" she screamed, making as if to follow the ex-captains and their captive, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. "Kuchiki-taicho…" she whispered. "Please, let me go after them."

"I cannot agree to you request, Matsumoto-fuku-taicho," replied the 6th squad captain, his face as expressionless as always. "Rushing after them without a strategy would be pointless and suicidal. And it would not help Hitsugaya-taicho."

Matsumoto knew that he was right, but tears still streamed down her beautiful face. _Taicho,_ she thought sadly. _I failed you._

"But Kuchiki-taicho," interrupted Renji. "What should we do?" The red-haired shinigami sounded like he was about to explode with rage. "We can't let them have Hitsugaya-taicho without a fight!"

Byakuya didn't respond, instead pulling out his cellphone. Renji stared at it in envy. It was a top of the line device, sleek and silver, it completely fitted his captain.

"First, we are going to notify Yammamoto-sou-taicho of this development," the captain said. "And then—the captain's voice turned icy—we will do whatever we possibly can to rescue Hitsugaya-taicho.

Matsumoto stared at the leader of the 6th squad. She had never really had associations with the captain before as he had always kept to himself and rarely interfered with business that did not concern his squad. The most that she had ever heard about him other besides his intimidating reputation was when she went out drinking with Renji, Kira, and Hisagi, and they all got drunk and started complaining about their captains. She had never expected the normally calm Captain Kuchiki to get upset, especially over _her _captain.

"Arigato Kuchiki-taicho," Matsumoto whispered. He turned towards her… was that a reassuring smile she saw on his face? Renji looked like he was about to faint, and without warning, Matsumoto felt laughter swell up inside of her. Suddenly, the situation didn't seem as dire. _We'll get you back, taicho,_ the blonde shinigami promised herself. _We'll rescue you, and Hinamori too, and then we'll go and show that bastard Aizen that he messed with the wrong shinigami!_

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"As you requested, we have returned with the boy, Aizen-sama," said Tosen respectfully, as he and Ichimaru arrived in Aizen's throne room, the latter still holding the unconscious child prodigy.

"Excellent, you both have done well." The leader of the defected shinigami was lounging on his massive throne, and playing with a small black sphere that shone in the light. The Hogyoku. As if sensing the presence of both Aizen and the infamous breakdown sphere, Hitsugaya stirred in his sleep and clenched his fists. A word escaped his mouth that distinctly sounded like "Aizen", followed by "I'm going to kill you" and then "Momo".

Ichimaru's ever-present smirk widened. "Awww, how cute, the li'l dragon's havin' dreams 'bout ya, Aizen-sama. And Hinamori-kun as well."

Aizen laughed, though his eyes remained cold. "He'll soon be dreaming of other things…" He held the Hogyoku up to the young captain's head and it gleamed, almost malevolently.

"Well, gentlemen, let's get started, the sooner we finish then the sooner Hitsugaya-kun will get to see his dear Momo. Though he might find her a little different from when he last saw her…And of course, he might not see her in the same light after he wakes up."

The sphere in his hands flashed as the ex-captain focused his reiatsu. Hitsugaya's problems had only just begun.

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**Next time, Hitsugaya will come face to face with his very own inner hollow. Will he survive the experience, or lose control of his soul?**

**Review, and you'll find out, the more reviews i get, the faster the next chapter gets up.**

**Yes, i am blackmailing you, but i hope you think it's worth it :)**

**Til next time,**

**stormwolf527**


	7. the deal

**Hiya, people-it's chapter 6. might be a little confusing but please read and review anyway.**

**As always, i don't own Bleach.**

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Hitsugaya opened his eyes to find himself in his inner world.

It was the same as always, a vast plain of ice stretching out as far as the eye could see until it disappeared into the horizon. It was snowing lightly, snowflakes softly landing on Hitsugaya's already white hair. Though on the outside it seemed unchanged, Hitsugaya could tell that something was wrong. For one, the air itself seemed to crackle with tension.

For another, Hyorinmaru was not there to greet him. Hitsugaya spun around slowly, searching for the dragon who always took the opportunity to accost Hitsugaya with sarcastic comments about his height whenever the two met face-to-face. But there was no sign of his companion. Reaching behind him, he realized the zanpaku-to wasn't there in his sword form either.

Something was definitely wrong.

"Hyorinmaru?" No response, only the howling of the wind.

"Hyorinmaru?"

"Don't bother, Hyorinmaru ain't here righ' now, bu' ya can leave a message if ya want."

Hitsugaya instantly spun around, recognizing the voice. But to his shock, the voice did not belong to Ichimaru Gin. Instead, a boy was standing a few feet away, smirking. He was the height as Hitsugaya, and also had white hair. However, his skin was the same shade as his hair and his eyes were the yellow and black of a hollow's. He was dressed similar to Hitsugaya, only the colors were reversed: the robe was white with a black obi and over it was a black captain's haori with white patterns. Slung across his back was a zanpaku-to that looked similar to Hyorinmaru.

"Shit," breathed Hitsugaya. "You're my inner hollow, aren't you?"

"Correct," grinned the boy. "Guess ya really are a tensai."

"What did you do to Hyorinmaru?"

"Don't worry, that ol' dragon won't bother us, he's lettin' us talk in peace." The boy smiled again, and Hitsugaya was getting unnerved.

"If you're my inner hollow, then why are you acting like that bastard Ichimaru?"

"Ach, don't get all freaked out on me, I'm just playing with you," said the hollow-boy, dropping the accent and the smile. "I don't know why anybody would want to be like Ichimaru anyway, he follows that jackass Aizen around like a puppy. Pathetic!" The boy spat on the ground in disgust.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds, yellow eyes boring into green. Then Hitsugaya came up with another question.

"Did Aizen create you by using the Hogyoku?"

"You sure got a lot of questions don't you, Hitsugaya-kun?" Hitsugaya gritted his teeth at the demeaning honorific. "Aw, don't look at me like that Hitsugaya-kun; I am you after all, so there's no point in being formal is there? But to answer your question, I suppose that I was created by Aizen using the Hogyoku; though it's more like I've always been here, but was only just awakened."

"I see…"

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway. The only way that Aizen's repulsive name even comes into my mind is when I'm making up detailed plans on how to destroy him."

"You hate Aizen?" asked Hitsugaya, confused. "But he created you; I would have thought that you would be all 'It is the will of Aizen-sama' like the other hollows."

"Baka," said the hollow-boy, rolling his eyes "whatever gave you the opinion that I was anything like other hollows? You are known as a prodigy, why shouldn't I be one as well?" Hitsugaya had no response, so he said nothing. "And yes, I want to kill that bastard Aizen just as much as you do. So, if you'd just let me take over this body, I could have him out of the way in no time at all. I can't believe that you haven't killed him yet—how pathetic!"

"Believe me, I've tried," muttered Hitsugaya sourly.

The hollow-boy read the unspoken question in Hitsugaya's eyes and continued ranting. "He 'created' me to serve him, wants me to obey him unquestioningly like those other fools, so that he could use _my_ enormous power to give him what he is too weak to take by himself." The hollow's angry tirade grew in volume, until he was screaming, his yellow eyes blazing with rage. The hollow's reiatsu was increasing in bursts, causing the already cool air to drop to below freezing temperatures. "I wield enough strength to make the world tremble at my feet, why should I use it to help _somebody else_ rise to glory?! The only one who has both the strength and will to be the undisputed ruler of heaven, earth, Hueco Mundo, Soul Society, and everything in between is me and only me!"

Hitsugaya cut him off mid-rant. Even though he had only met his inner hollow a few minutes ago, he had no doubt that his other self could— and would— continue on this topic until he passed out from lack of oxygen. "Okay, I get it—um… do you have a name?"

"Nope," the hollow-boy replied, suddenly returning to cheerfulness. "Don't want one, don't need one."

The two boys returned to contemplating each other in silence, though the hollow-boy was still shaking with rage over the subject of Aizen.

Hitsugaya's thoughts were whirling rapidly, as he tried to think of a way to turn the situation to his advantage. _In here, I'm unarmed and_ _facing a power-hungry hollow. In the real world, I'm facing a power-hungry ex-shingami who controls a giant army, as well as the hogyoku, _and_ has also captured Momo._ His brain was weighing the options, though none of them were particularly appealing to him. _At least my inner hollow doesn't seem too intent on attacking me, while I know that Aizen would not hesitate to kill me…or Momo. As much as I hate to admit it, I don't have enough power to defeat Aizen, not to mention Tosen and Ichimaru alone. Though I might not exactly be happy about it, an alliance with this hollow might be my only choice…_

He snapped out of his daze. "Listen hollow," the young captain said slowly. "As a rule, we might despise each other, but surely you can see that it is within both of our interests to work together, at least for now. The hollow-boy regarded him with a piercing yellow gaze. "Go on."

"Well, from what I have heard about the substitute shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo, I know that with viazard, the shinigami must fight their inner hollow for control. Whichever side wins gains use of the body, as well as the powers of the other.

The hollow-boy said nothing, only continued to stare at him as Hitsugaya explained his thoughts.

"Well," Hitsugaya continued "The way I see it, we both need each other. You can't act outside of this dream plane without the use of my body. I cannot rescue Hinamori and escape from Heuco Mundo alone, and if I die, then you will never be able to reign over the heavens. We both want to destroy Aizen."

Hitsugaya stared his other self in the face, willing for him to understand. Though it was unnerving to gaze at a reversed version of himself, he could see comprehension in the yellow eyes that were fixated upon him.

The hollow-boy nodded. "I see…"

"So, here's my deal," said Hitsugaya. "You lend me your power, so that we can finally obliterate Aizen from this world and return to Soul Society. Then, we can fight and settle the business of who is stronger once and for all."

The hollow-boy grinned, his smile showing far too many teeth to be natural. "I like that plan, especially the part about annihilating Aizen."

"I thought you would, you are supposed to be a genius after all." said Hitsugaya with a tiny smirk.

"Whoa, wait a minute—did you just make a _joke_?!"

"Of course not— now do we have a deal?"

"Ya got it Hitsugaya-kun," said the hollow-boy insolently.

The two shook hands, the hollow-boy's skin was cool against Hitsugaya's. "Nice doin' business wit'cha Hitsugaya-kun." said the hollow-boy, smiling again as he slipped back into impersonating Ichimaru.

Hitsugaya sighed—what had he gotten himself into?

"It's not Hitsugaya-kun, it's—"

"—Hitsugaya-taicho, I know, I know."

The boy-genius was seriously starting to consider the wisdom of the deal when the world began to spin around him.

"I guess th' drug's startin' ta wear off," said the hollow-boy. "Take care of ya self now."

The world of ice and snow was slipping away; the darkness shrouding his mind was beginning to lift. As Hitsugaya began to enter the world, he could hear the voice of his inner hollow.

"Give 'Aizen-sama' my regards, 'k Hitsugaya-kun?!"

0-0-0

**whew, that was a long chapter-i'm exhausted! i know that it was a little confusing, but i hope you got the general point. anyway, you know the drill by now, press that review button, or i will send my army of ninja monkies after you!**

**next** **week: find out why Aizen needs Hitsugaya for his oh-so-evil scheme!**

**happy thanksgiving everybody!!!**

**-stormwolf527**


	8. the challenge

**Here's chapter 8!!! Below is a guide to what bold/italicized things mean, in case anybody was confused.**

normal=normal speech

_italicized=Hitsugaya's_ _thoughts_

**_bold=Hyorinamru speaking_**

_underlined italicized=Hollow speaking_

**As always, read, review, and enjoy!**

0-0-0

_The world of ice and snow was slipping away; the darkness shrouding his mind was beginning to lift. As Hitsugaya began to enter the world, he could hear the voice of his inner hollow._

"_Give 'Aizen-sama' my regards, 'k Hitsugaya-kun?!"_

0-0-0

Hitsugaya woke up, the sarcastic voice of the hollow still ringing in his ears. As he slowly looked around, the young captain saw that he was lying on a couch in a small room. Everything was painted white. The white door was barely visible against the white walls, with only a thin outline to show that it even existed. Hitsugaya walked over to it. It was locked, though he had expected that. Suddenly he felt dizzy and collapsed back on the couch, the world spinning around him. He felt as if all of the energy had been drained from his body, and the simple act of getting up had completely exhausted him.

_Shit. What did Aizen do to me?_

_**I think that when the Hogyoku was used on you, a large amount of your own reiatsu was used to create that inner hollow of yours.**_

_Hyorinmaru? Where are you?_

_**On that shelf to your left.**_ Hitsugaya staggered over to the shelf, and picked up his zanpaku-to. A rush of familiar cool energy washed over him and he felt a little of his strength return._** I guess they didn't bother taking me away because you barely have the power to lift me, let alone start attacking Aizen and his pet Arrancar.**_

_Well, you might not be strong enough, but I am!_ Hitsugaya jumped at the new voice in his mind.

_Hollow?_

_Hey, don't act so surprised, we made a deal, and I do intend to keep my word,_ replied Hitsugaya's inner hollow._ You might be all tired and shit, but I feel good enough to take out Aizen, and anybody else who gets in my way, so let me take over! _

_Not a chance. I came here to rescue Momo too, and she won't be safe if you start going on a rampage._

_Aww, come on, don't you trust me to keep your little girlfriend safe?_

_Not one bit. And she's not my girlfriend._

_Riiiiiight. You're no fun, Hitsugaya-kun._

_It's not—_

_**Stop it, both of you! **_exclaimed Hyorinmaru. _**If you both weren't having a pointless argument, you'd sense that Aizen is approaching this room!**_

As the dragon spoke, there was the click of a key, and the door opened, revealing Aizen.

The betrayer of the entire Soul Society was smiling, though his brown eyes were cold.

"Welcome to Las Noches, Hitsugaya-kun," Aizen's smile grew a little wider as he saw the hate-filled look that the young captain gave him. "I hope that you've had a pleasant sleep, and are settling in nicely, after all, Las Noches is your home now.

"I have no intention of remaining in Las Noches, Aizen," Hitsugaya replied, his voice icy.

Aizen looked back at him. "Feel free to leave if you want, Hitsugaya-kun, the door's right there and my guards won't stop you. But think about Hinamori-kun."

_Shit, Momo!_

"Where is she, you bastard?"

"Don't worry; she's safe— for now anyway." Suddenly, Aizen's pleasant voice dropped to a threatening tone, making Hitsugaya start slightly. "And if you want what's best for Hinamori-kun—which I know you do—then you'll do as I say."

Hitsugaya glared venomously at Aizen, but he knew that he had already lost. As long as Aizen had Momo in his clutches, then the white-haired boy knew he couldn't dare oppose the ex-captain. "As you wish," Hitsugaya said, putting so much menace in his voice that he was surprised Aizen didn't drop dead on the spot. _If only looks could kill…_he thought.

_In that case Hitsugaya-kun, you'd be standing on a huge heap of dead bodies, if you killed all of the people who ever called you short._ The annoying laugh of his inner hollow echoed through Hitsugaya's mind, he could almost picture the white-skinned boy smirking at him.

_Instead of making bad jokes, how about you work on a plan to get us out of this situation?_

_At least I _have_ a sense of humor, unlike _some _people,_ the hollow replied. _And you know, we _could_ just ditch the girl, she's a whining loser anyway. Then all we would have to do is slit that bastard Aizen's throat and get the hell away from this place, _the hollow said hopefully.

_Not a chance._

_I thought not,_the hollow sighed. _But never fear, I shall think of a masterful plan, so that we can kill Aizen, an then get out of this place to have our fight. Then, I can fulfill my destiny as the ruler of all creation. _

_Just shut up and do it already!_

_No problem _boss, retorted the hollow sarcastically. _Whatever you say…_Then his mocking presence vanished from Hitsugaya's mind, forcing him to return his attention to the room, where Aizen was still looking at him with that annoying smile on his cold face.

"Excellent, I knew you'd see things my way," Aizen said pleasantly. "But before I can allow you to see Hinamori-kun however, you will have to undergo a little…examination, so that we can discover what your new vaizard powers are capable of, along with…some other things.

"Examination?" _And those 'other things' don't sound good…_

"Yes, just a little test to see what new abilities you have gained," replied Aizen. "And since it is a test for your viazard powers alone, you will have to give me your zanpaku-to for the duration of the test."

"What!" Hitsugaya exclaimed. _Leave Hyorinmaru in the hands of that bastard?!_

"I wasn't offering you a choice, Hitsugaya-kun," said Aizen, still speaking in an amiable voice that nevertheless made Hitsugaya shudder.

_I suppose that I have no choice. I'm sorry, Hyorinmaru._

_**I understand, Hitsugaya. I shall await your return so that together we can destroy this man.**_

_Agreed, _replied Hitsugaya with a mental smile as he reluctantly parted with his dragon companion. _I look forward to that moment when I can slide you into his scheming, traitorous heart._

"Arigato, Hitsugaya-kun," smiled Aizen. "Your zanpaku-to will be safe with me,"

Hitsugaya responded with another icy glare. "Let's just get this 'examination' over with."

"Of course Hitsugaya-kun, follow me."

0-0-0

Hitsugaya followed Aizen down the dimly lit halls of Las Noches in silence. Thoughts were swirling in the young captain's head, though the two that kept repeating in his mind were _I wonder where this bastard's taking me _and _Momo had better be alright, otherwise Aizen is going to die an even more painful death than the one my hollow is plotting_. He pictured his inner hollow as he thought this, the boy who was so similar to him and yet so different, with his intense yellow eyes and mouth stretched in an Ichimaru-like grin.

_Speaking of my hollow, he hasn't spoken to me for a while…It's kind of weird to be actually having thoughts without somebody making sarcastic comments about them… I guess he's making plans to get us away from this place so that we can battle. He reminds me of that thick-headed idiot Kenpachi, always thinking about fighting. _Hitsugaya smiled slightly, that quickly vanished as he continued pondering. _But if he _is _me, and has seen all of my thoughts, and knows what my fighting style is, do I have any hope of defeating him?_

_No, even if it seems impossible, I will find a way. When I became a shinigami, I swore to protect others. And even before that, I swore to protect Momo. It might be a great challenge, but I will pull through! Nothing will stop me from fulfilling these vows, especially a hollow!_

Thinking this, the boy-captain hadn't noticed that Aizen had stopped in front of a plain white door, and he almost ran into the back of his greatest enemy, though he managed to catch himself in time.

"Well, here we are Hitsugaya-kun," said Aizen. The ex-captain inserted a key into the door and it opened with a soft click. They walked into the room and Hitsugaya was completely unprepared for what he saw inside...

0-0-0

**A little boring i know, the big plot unveiling i promised you is going to come next chapter instead, sorry about that.**

**but i hope you'll forgive me and stick with the story, i promise you it will be worth it.**

**please leave comments, they are really appreciated and help me make the story better.**

**well, i guess that's all, so i hope you are enjoying the story and i will see you soon**

**-stormwolf527**


	9. the truth, kind of

"_Well, here we are Hitsugaya-kun," said Aizen. The ex-captain inserted a key into the door and it opened with a soft click. They walked into the room and Hitsugaya was completely unprepared for what he saw inside…_

0-0-0

As they walked into the room, Hitsugaya looked around the room in confusion. He had been expecting a place full of mysterious devices that Kurotsuchi-taicho would kill to get. Instead, there was just a plain white room (A/N: anticlimactic I know, please don't kill me. But don't worry, there's a lot of good stuff ahead, I promise).

Aizen gestured for Hitsugaya to stand in the middle of the room, and growling to himself at having to obey the traitorous ex-captain's orders the white-haired boy did as he was told.

Aizen then sat down on a tall throne-like chair that Hitsugaya hadn't noticed before. The ex-captain then pulled a shimmering black orb from his white robes—the Hogyoku.

_What's he going to do with that? _Hitsugaya wondered as he stared at his enemy. _He already turned me into a vaizard…_

Hitsugaya jerked in surprise as Aizen casually tossed the Hogyoku at him. Despite his surprise, he caught it easily—he was a captain after all. Holding the black sphere in one hand, the white-haired boy stared quizzically at Aizen. _The Hogyoku? He betrayed the entire Soul Society to get his filthy hands on it, so why exactly did he just give it to me?_ Despite his status as a genius, his brain could come up with no solution.

"You appear to be confused about something, Hitsugaya-kun," smiled Aizen. "Allow me to explain." The ex-captain pushed a button on the side of his chair, and a glass wall appeared, separating the two. Looking at the barrier, Hitsugaya could tell that it contained some very powerful spells that could negate even the strongest kido. _That doesn't look good…What's this bastard up to?_

"Here's the examination will work." Aizen said, still smiling. "It's pretty simple. All you have to do is try to survive. I'm sure that shouldn't be too challenging for one of your ability, Hitsugaya-kun."

"What are you talking about, Aizen?!" hissed Hitsugaya.

"I'll show you." As Aizen said this, he pressed another button. Hitsugaya watched apprehensively as a door opened in the wall next to him. "As I said, try and survive." Aizen then leaned back in his chair, as if watching a show.

Hollow began to appear through the door in the wall, first one, then dozens, then hundreds, until the room was filled with monsters, all looking at Hitsugaya with hunger apparent on their masked faces.

Hitsugaya gulped. He had never seen so many hollows before. He could tell that they were all low-class monsters, the sort that he could destroy without even releasing his zanpakuto.

If he had his zanpakuto…which he didn't.

"Begin." said Aizen. The hollows instantly started advancing, bloodthirsty howls emerging from their mouths.

Hitsugaya was all too aware of the fact that he was defenseless against the approaching danger. He knew kido of course, but it would be next to useless against the extreme number of hollows that he was up against.

_Shit. I'm hugely outnumbered and weaponless, unless you count the Hogyoku._ _And I don't think that turning these hollows into Arrancar would be of any help to me whatsoever, even if I knew how to use it, which I don't… _

_Hey Shorty, miss me?_

Hitsugaya had never been happier to hear the arrogant voice of his hollow.

_You seem to be in a bit of a…situation here. Need some help?_

_What kind of help? And you're just as short as I am._

_Well, you asked me before to come up with a plan, and being the genius I am, I came up with a brilliant strategy to slit Aizen's throat. But, as we appear to be stuck in a box, while that bastard grins at us, we first need to get out of here, agreed?_

_Agreed. So…?_

_Simple, let me take over. I slaughter these lowlifes, we bust out of here and give Aizen whats been coming to him._

Hitsugaya was now having dodging the leaders of the hollow pack in a series of fluid motions that seemed more suited to a dance. He ducked underneath a claw about half as big as he was, and leapt over the head of another hollow to reach the relative safety of the other side. The young captain knew that he was out of options, he couldn't dodge forever.

_Very well, _he replied. _But don't get too beat up, we still have to take down Aizen._

_Me? Get beat up? I don't get beat up, I beat others up! Just take a little rest, and it'll be over before you know it._

Black swarmed over Hitsugaya's vision, he heard the maniacal laugh of his hollow before losing awareness completely.

0-0-0

Aizen Souske leaned forwards in his chair. The boy had stopped abruptly in place, and the hollows had formed a circle around him. Suddenly, a hollow's mask began to form over the boy's face. The hollows surrounding him began to back away, but they were too slow. The boy leapt towards the nearest one and slashed at it with fingers that were suddenly looking more like claws. More soon followed the path of the first one, until the boy was standing on a pile of slowly disintegrating hollow bodies.

Aizen smiled, the speed at which the hollow-boy had demolished those hollows had been incredible. _He will be a worthy addition to my army._

Then, the hollow-boy looked up at him and grinned, teeth flashing. The bloodlust and hatred in those yellow and black eyes made even Aizen shudder, though it was just for a fraction of a second. He pressed the button on his chair again, and more hollows poured out. They were more numerous and powerful than the previous ones.

The hollow-boy's smile increased even further and he launched himself at the new arrivals. He was only just getting started…

0-0-0

_**Wake up Hitsugaya. **_The familiar voice echoed in his head as a cold nose bumped him in the side.

Hitsugaya slowly opened his eyes, taking in the usual dreamscape. His vision seemed blurry, as he could see two dragons standing next to him instead of one.

"Hyorinmaru? What's going on?" the young captain asked in confusion. He shook his head to clear his vision, but the double image still persisted. "There's something wrong with my head, I keep seeing two of you…" He was beginning to get a weird feeling about the inhabitants of his inner world. "There really are two of you, aren't there?"

_**Yes, **_replied the dragon nearest to him. _**Though we are not actually the same being.**_

Hitsugaya's tired brain made the effort. "You're the spirit of my hollow's zanpakuto, aren't you?" he asked the other dragon.

_**Correct,**_ the other dragon answered. Now that his brain was functioning better, Hitsugaya could see that this dragon, though similar to Hyorimaru, was actually darker than Hyorinmaru, almost black. _**It is a pleasure to meet my counterpart's wielder.**_

Hyorinmaru snorted. _**If only the same could be said about that hollow of yours, Hitsugaya. He's going on a rampage out there. I think even Aizen's getting a little bit nervous. The hollows just keep coming, and sooner or later, you'll be overcome.**_

Hitsugaya closed his eyes. By concentrating hard, he could see the outside world through his hollow's eyes. His vision was a frenzy of slashing and dodging. Blood was splattering everywhere, and though Hitsugaya could tell that most of it was not his own, he could still feel several deep wounds on his hollow-possessed body.

"You're right, Hyorinmaru," Hitsugaya said as he opened his eyes. "Aizen will just keep sending the hollows out, and not matter how strong he is, my hollow can't keep on going forever. We have to find another way to defeat them; otherwise we are all going to die."

The dragons exchanged sober looks. _**Maybe the Hogyoku can help us, **_said the dark dragon. _**That bastard Aizen no doubt had a reason for giving it to us.**_

_**Maybe if we all focus our reiatsu into it, we might gain enough power to annihilate these vermin, **_agreed Hyorinmaru.

"It's worth a try," decided Hitsugaya. He focused his thoughts into reaching his hollow. _Hey hollow, we've got a plan._

_Go away, I'm having fun out here,_ came the annoyed reply.

_If both of us and our zanpakuos combine our powers with the Hogyoku, we might be able to destroy both these hollows, and Aizen, _Hitsugaya responded, refusing to be turned away.

_Well, why didn't you say so? Let's do it!_

0-0-0

The boy had paused again, Aizen observed. The yellow and black eyes turned away from the trembling hollow before him and were now staring at the Hogyoku with a fierce concentration. Even though he was on the other side of a powerful magical barrier, Aizen could still feel the huge increase in the boy's reiatsu, as he focused it all into the Hogyoku. The black sphere began to glow, softly at first, but getting more and more intense until it suddenly released all of its radiance in one bright flash, the brilliance temporarily blinding all present.

When the light faded Aizen could see three things, first, that the remaining hollows were lying seemingly unconscious on the floor, second, that the Hogyoku had changed color—from black to a bright green, the color of Hitsugaya Toshiro's eyes, and third, that Hitsugaya had lost his hollow form and had transformed back into a shinigami. The boy's green eyes were fixated on the Hogyoku, looking in wonder at its new appearance.

0-0-0

Hitsugaya stared at the Hogyoku in amazement, fascinated by its change in color. The now green orb seemed to pulse in his hands, and he could feel its energy seeping into him, giving him new strength.

_I guess it worked…_ he thought.

_I still think you should have let me finish them,_ said the voice of his hollow in his mind. _I was having fun._

_My way was better. The Hogyoku seems to be pouring power into me. I think that we somehow bonded with it when we all poured our reiatsu into it._

_Bonded with the Hogyoku…I'm sure Aizen will be pleased,_sniggered the hollow.

As the hollow spoke, Aizen stood up from his chair. "Congratulations, Hitsugaya-kun," he called. "You passed the test…both of them."

Hitsugaya looked up. "What are you talking about, Aizen?" he growled.

"Come with me, Hitsugaya-kun, and I'll explain further." Aizen replied. "Besides, I did promise to let you see Hinamori-kun, didn't I?" The ex-captain pushed a button, and the magical barrier disappeared. Hitsugaya got to his feet shakily. Even with the power of the Hogyoku flowing through him, his body was still worn out and bleeding from his hollow's recklessness.

_Hey, I said I was sorry._

_Humph. At least tell me you have a better plan for getting us out of here._

_You'll see._

Realizing that Aizen was waiting for him, Hitsugaya slowly walked towards his enemy. How could the man stand there so calmly after all of the things he had done, all of the people he'd hurt? He felt the anger of his hollow added to his own as he remembered the feeling of Aizen's zanpakuto lodged into him. _You just stand there and smile, Aizen, we'll see who's laughing when it's my turn to stab you._

"Follow me, Hitsugaya-kun." Saying this, Aizen walked away, not bothering to look back. Gritting his teeth, Hitsugaya once again followed the traitorous ex-captain. _I can't believe that I'm taking orders from Aizen, but I have no choice as long as he has Momo…_

0-0-0

They walked for what seemed like an eternity to Hitsugaya's battered body.

_I'm going to kill that hollow as soon I get the chance for being so reckless with my body._

_HEY! I heard that!_

_Shut up._

_Make me!_

_I will as soon as we get out of here._

_Bring it on, I'll kick your ass!_

_We'll see about that!_

_**WILL BOTH OF YOU BE QUIET!!! **_came the united draconic roar in Hitsugaya's mind. Both Hitsugaya and the hollow fell silent.

_**Let's just focus on the task at hand—killing Aizen.**_

_**Hyorinmaru is right, we have no time for senseless fighting.**_

_**You sound like that blind fool, Tosen. **_

_**Why you—**_

Hitsugaya rubbed at his temples wearily. It had been challenging dealing with just Hyorinmaru in his head, but adding another two beings was just insanity.

_For once, I'm going to have to agree with you—the sooner we get this deal over with, the sooner we get to find out once and for all who stays and who goes. But killing Aizen comes first of course._

_Speaking of Aizen, I think we're there._

Hitsugaya blinked, taking in the scene before him. They were in what was evidently Aizen's throne room. Like the rest of Las Noches, it was painted white with few furnishings, except for the throne in the center of the room. Aizen sat down on the throne and beckoned for Hitsugaya to stand in front of him, which the white-haired captain reluctantly did.

"Before I clear things up for you Hitsugaya-kun, I have something for you, a reward for exceeding my expectations on my little examination," said Aizen. He produced a sheathed zanpakuto with a four-pointed star shaped guard and a light blue hilt. A green sash dangled from the ends.

"Hyorinmaru," breathed Hitsugaya as he accepted his zanpakuto. He attached the ends of the sash with the star-shaped fastener, the weight of the sword on his back made him feel at ease for the first time since entering Hueco Mundo. He could feel the dragon's presence far more strongly now, and a rush of icy energy infused his body.

_**I'm ready Hitsugaya, just call on me and let's show this traitor that you don't mess with a dragon and get away with it!**_

_Be patient Hyorinmaru, we should find out what that "test" was really about, as well as what happened to Momo before we do anything. _Hitsugaya replied, even though he longed to end Aizen's days as much as his companion did.

Aizen was still talking "And as promised, I shall let you see Hinamori-kun." As he said that, a girl stepped out from behind Aizen's throne and stared expressionlessly at him.

It was obviously her. Though he knew the power of Aizen's zanpakuto, he thought that after all of the years that he had spent with Hinamori he would know if he was looking at an illusion. He took a deep, relieved breath as he saw that she seemed unharmed, at least physically. But the blank look in her eyes scared him.

"Momo?" She didn't respond. Something was obviously wrong.

"Momo!" He ran up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Momo, speak to me!"

"It's no use, Hitsugaya-kun," Aizen smirked. "She can't see or hear you."

"Teme…"

_He must have used Kyouka Suigetsu on her; she can only sense what he tells her to. He's going to pay for that._

"Release her right now, Aizen," hissed Hitsugaya, placing his hand on Hyorinmaru's hilt. "Or else…"

"Or else what, Hitsugaya-kun?" asked Aizen, still smirking. "Or else, you'll attack me? Well, if you choose that course of action, you might find a certain shinigami in your way, and I know you wouldn't want that."

Hitsugaya flinched. Aizen had him trapped and they both knew it.Hitsugaya released his grip on Hyorinmaru and returned to glaring at Aizen, though thoughts of Hinamori were still running through his mind.

_Is there a cure for 'complete hypnosis'? Maybe, if I manage to get her back to Soul Society, Unohana-taicho can heal her…_He couldn't bear the thought of his oldest friend remaining a brain-washed zombie forever. _No! I have to believe that there is a solution! I'll find a way to help Momo even if I have to take the answer from Aizen's dead body!_

He suddenly remembered the Hogyoku and raised the green orb into the air. "Explain what happened during that 'test'."

Aizen gave him another amused smile. "It's actually pretty simple. When I first arrived in Hueco Mundo, I did some experiments with the Hogyoku to test its capabilities. Despite its incredible power, which I used to create my army, I felt that there was something missing, a key element that was needed to fully awaken the Hokyoku to its full potential.

"So? What does that have to do with Hinamori and me?" Hitsugaya asked angrily.

Aizen continued as if Hitsugaya hadn't spoken. "I continued to research the Hogyoku, hoping for a clue as to what I lacked. In the very beginning of Urahara Kisuke's experiments, I discovered some vital information that I had previously overlooked. The Hogyoku has an affinity for the element of water. After all, the very purpose of the Hoyoku is to break down barriers, and water is the ultimate medium for doing so.

"And that's not all, Hitsugaya-kun. After creating the Hoyoku, Urahara realized that somebody might try and use it for evil purposes." Aizen smirked again. Hitsugaya's rage was building; he wanted nothing more than to wipe that grin off Aizen's face. "And, afraid that somebody would hunt him down to gain knowledge of his creation, he took certain key information about the Hogyoke's use and hid it, even from himself."

"Hid it?" Hitsugaya repeated.

"That's right. And the hiding place that he chose…was you, Hitsugaya-kun."


	10. the plan and the shinigami

**Chapter 10 everybody!**

**Thanks to all who added this story to their favorites/story alerts, it really made my day :)**

**A special thanks to ****Renji's Girll****, my only consistant reviewer--you rock!**

**Anyway, read, review and enjoy!**

0-0-0

**  
**"…_Afraid that somebody would hunt him down to gain knowledge of his creation, Urahara Kisuke took certain key information about the Hogyoku's use and hid it, even from himself."_

"_Hid it?" Hitsugaya repeated._

"_That's right. And the hiding place that he chose…was you, Hitsugaya-kun."_

0-0-0

"He what?!" Hitsugaya stared dumbfounded at his enemy. Urahara hid information inside of him? How was that possible? Urahara had been exiled from the Soul Society before Hitsugaya had even become a captain.

"Knowing the Hogyoku's preference for water, Urahara searched the entire Soul Society for one who was powerful in that element," Aizen continued. "And while in Junrinan (A/N: the district where Hitsugaya grew up) he found the perfect individual for his plans—you. You were young and strong enough that he could easily meddle in your mind without any negative effects, and he believed that despite the tough image you presented to others, you had a good heart, so that even if you found out about the knowledge planted in your mind, you would not use it for evil. And of course, you had a remarkable level of reiatsu, so that you could protect yourself and the knowledge within you from harm."

Aizen smirked again. "So, as I cannot unlock the full power of the Hogyoku without you Hitsugaya-kun, I had to make you come to Hueco Mundo. As kidnapping you directly would have had a rescue party immediately following, I had to resort to abducting Hinamori-kun. And my plan worked perfectly, of course. I knew that Yammamoto would refuse to send help for Hinamori-kun, leaving you to recklessly dash into my domain without any backup, and fall into my clutches as well." Aizen paused, obviously enjoying revealing to the stunned captain how he had outsmarted Soul Society yet again.

Hitsugaya stared blankly ahead. So the reason Aizen had kidnapped Momo in the first place was to get him to come to Hueco Mundo, in order for Aizen to somehow take the information hidden within him and use it to bring himself ultimate power. The boy's head was spinning, there was so much to absorb.

But the thought that kept returning was that it was all Urahara's fault. Hitsugaya understood the reason why the man had done what he had, but surely he had foreseen that his actions would have dire consequences? His secrets couldn't remain hidden forever. And because of Urahara, Momo was standing in front of him like a lifeless doll!

The young captain's fists clenched. As soon as the buisness with Aizen and his inner hollow was over, he was going to make Urahara Kisuke pay!

0-0-0

Urahara Kisuke sneezed violently.

"What's wrong, Kisuke?" his companion and friend Shihouin Yoruichi, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Ah, it's nothing. For a second there, I felt this really intense feeling of hatred wash over me, but it's gone now." Urahara replied, shrugging. "I wonder what it could have been though…"

"Quit whining an' start talkin', Urahara!" The impatient growl came from the large figure of Zaraki Kenpachi, the captain of the 11th Squad.

"As you say, Zaraki-san," Urahara cheerfully replied. He pulled the brim of his ever-present green and white striped hat up so that he could survey the other inhabitants of the room. He and Yoruichi were standing in the 1st Squad's barracks along with the 9 remaining captains in a line before them, along with their lieutenants. The substitute shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo was also there. He remembered the days when he had been the captain of the 12th Squad, though those times were long gone. All thanks to Aizen—even then, the man had been plotting to betray Soul Society.

Urahara sighed—Aizen had uprooted so many people's lives, including his own. The man had a lot to answer for… that was the reason why Urahara was in Soul Society in the first place, in order to right some of the wrongs that he had caused by creating the Hogyoku, as well as to make sure that Aizen was stopped.

"As I was saying, Yammamoto-san gave me the task of building a stable portal that was capable of transporting large numbers of shinigami at once. And I am happy to inform you that I have exceeded even my own expectations." Urahara grinned, his fan appearing out of nowhere.

"Get to the point Urahara," sighed Yoruichi.

Urahara pulled a small cube, from his pocket. "This device is the answer to all of our problems!" he exclaimed. He ignored the disbelieving faces around him and continued.

"With a touch of a button, it can transport any, and I repeat, **any **desired number of shinigami to **any** desired location!"

In a smaller and much faster voice he continued "Some restrictions may apply, side effects can include headaches, nausea, cramps, internal bleeding, insanity, morphing into other genders/species, uncontrollable urges to act like a chicken, decomposition, spontaneous combustion, and a variety of other painful deaths. Do not use this product if you are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. As we have known each other for so long, I am offering a special discount to all of you (except for Kurotsuchi, because even though you used to work for me, you still give me the creeps) !!!This is a limited offer so order now!!!"

He continued smiling his best 'come on, you can trust me' smile, as the other shinigami stared at him in varying states of confusion as they tried to reconstruct what he had just said in their minds.

"Gender and species shifting…" repeated Hisagi with a glazed look in his eyes.

"Spontaneous combustion…" Soi Fon uncertainly said.

"Chicken…" said Renji.

"I refuse to believe this nonsense!" exclaimed Captain Kurotsuchi. "That thing is merely a child's toy! I will need to conduct further tests in order to determine whether or not that thing is capable of even doing half as many things as that man says!"

"Oh?" asked Urahara. "Would you like a demonstration?" He pushed a panel on the cube's surface, and instantly the group was standing outside. Another push and they returned to the inside of the room as if nothing had happened.

Everything was normal…except for the fact that the fukutaicho of the 2nd Squad, Omaeda Marechiyo, was running around in circles, acting like a chicken. A very overweight chicken…However, Urahara quickly tripped him and shoved him behind a door before anybody else could notice.

Captain Kurotsuchi's jaw had almost dropped to the floor. The 12th Squad captain looked enviously at the cube, obviously unhappy that anybody else could create an object that amazing.

"Uh… good work, Urahara." Yammamoto said, as he tried to act as if he had understood everything that had just happened. "Assuming that what you say is true and this device can transport an unlimited number of shinigami, we will launch our attack on Aizen straight away!"

"Is this really wise Yammamoto-san?" asked Captain Ukitake, concerned.

"We are losing captains at an incredible rate," replied Yammamoto. "I have observed the training of all the squads, and I am pleased at the progress that I have seen. My decision is final—we will no longer wait for Aizen to attack us; rather, we shall be the ones attacking! Urahara, prepare your device to transport the all of the members of the Gotei 13 to Hueco Mundo at once!"

"Finally, some action!" said Kenpachi, as his maniacal grin spread across his scarred face.

"Has anybody seen my fukutaicho?" asked Soi Fon.

0-0-0

Hitsugaya was still staring vacantly into space. He had moved the business about how he was going to slowly and painfully kill Urahara (Back in Soul Society, Urahara sneezed violently again) to the back of his mind, and focused on the problem at hand, namely Aizen.

_Okay, I have to get Momo away from here before I can fight Aizen. But how? Most of my reiatsu is drained, I probably can't even manage a shunpo... _

_Say no more, your friendly neighborhood hollow is at your service!_

Hitsugaya groaned mentally. _Do I even want to know what crazy scheme you've got going this time?_

_Well, do ya wanna get ya li'l girlfriend outta here or not?_ the hollow retorted. _Besides, my last plan wasn't THAT bad._

_Your oh-so-mighty plan basically consisted of you going into a killing frenzy! And Momo's not my girlfriend!_

_Then how come you're calling her by her first name? And this plan's better, I promise. After all, my reiatsu is still going strong._

Hitsugaya could feel the hollow-boy's toothy grin in his mind. Once again, the young captain realized that he was out of options.

_Tell me what you want to do. Aizen will know something's wrong when he sees you take over—the minute a mask starts to appear, he'll probably kill Momo—I mean Hinamori._

_I still don't see why you're attracted to that girl, if you let her die, then all of our problems would be much simpler._ The hollow-boy paused. _But as you seem to care so much about her, and we made a deal after all, I'll comply with your will…for now anyway. So don't worry; I won't take over completely—just enough for our body to use the super speed of a hollow._

_OUR body? _

_Like it or not, it's the truth and you know it. At least until I get to kick your little ass and get what's rightfully mine…_

With effort, Hitsugaya ignored his hollow, though he was sure a mental vein was popping. _Fine, but don't get into any fights until Momo is safe, got it?_

_You got it, boss,_ came the sardonic reply.

Black swept over the edges of Hitsugaya's vision. However, this experience was similar to the last time his hollow had taken over; it was as if he was observing the scene from the eyes of his hollow.

_Here I go!_ the hollow cackled gleefully and Hitsugaya watched in a combination of shocked surprise and laughter as his hollow showed Hitsugaya the details of his 'master plan'.

The hollow possessing his body moved with an unnatural speed, throwing the Hogyoku that was still in his hand at Aizen's face. The surprised ruler of Hueco Mundo fell backwards, eyes widened in shock as the small green orb hit him directly on his forehead, the force of the blow stunning him.

Next, the hollow leapt over to Hinamori's side. He grabbed the girl, slinging her over his back like a sack of potatoes. Hinamori stared blankly ahead, still under the effects of Kyoka Suigetsu. The hollow stretched his hands behind his back, holding onto the female shinigami so that she wouldn't fall off and started running.

"Don't worry, Aizen-kun," the hollow called. "As soon as I get rid of this baggage here, I'll come back for you, I promise!"

With that, the hollow sped out of Aizen's throne room. The last thing that Hitsugaya saw was Aizen lying on the ground, his mouth comically shaped into an 'O'.

As he raced through the passages of Las Noches, Hitsugaya's hollow spoke to him, glee still present in his voice.

_So how'd ya like that plan, Hitsugaya-kun?_

_Quite honestly, I still can't believe you pulled that off…_Hitsugaya answered, as he watched the ground blur beneath his feet.

_Well it worked didn't it?_the hollow retorted smugly. Then the hollow started laughing, the sound echoing off of the walls.

_What?_ asked Hitsugaya.

_Aizen,_ the hollow replied, still chortling. _Did you see his face?! The 'all-powerful' Aizen lying on the floor with his eyes bugged out and his mouth opened so wide a horde of bugs could have flown in—I thought I was going to die from trying not to laugh!_

Hitsugaya smiled mentally, that memory would last forever. _We did get him good didn't we?_ the boy thought in satisfaction.

_We sure did. It was almost worth you not letting me just chop off his head. But, we got the girl like you wanted; we just gotta find a safe place to dump her, so that we can go back and get Aizen. _

Without any commotion, they emerged from Las Noches into the perpetual night of Hueco Mundo.

_Maybe things are going right for a change,_ Hitsugaya thought.

How very wrong he was…

0-0-0

**I hope you liked this chapter, please let me know what you think. **

**Next chapter: Hitsugaya and Momo escape from Las Noches, but they aren't in the clear yet. Also, the arrival of the ENTIRE Gotei 13 in Hueco Mundo-that pught to shake things up a bit!**

**See you soon**

**-stormwolf527**


	11. the escape and aizen's breakdown

**I wasn't going to update again until later this week, but after reading all the emails i got after publishing chapter 10, i couldn't resist. thank you to all who left me comments-you guys rock!**

**WARNING: MEGA OOC-ness in this chapter, especially Aizen.**

**i am aware that this chapter isn't exactly a masterpiece, but i hope you enjoy Aizen's nervous breakdown.**

**Anyway, read, review, etc etc etc, i'm sure you guys know the drill by now!**

0-0-0

Hitsugaya, his body being controlled by his inner hollow, emerged from Las Noches carrying Hinamori on his back. Using the super speed that he had while in hollow form, the boy sped through the perpetual night of Hueco Mundo.

Inside his icy inner world, Hitsugaya was conversing with Hyorinmaru and his hollow's zanpakuto.

_**I don't like this, Hitsugaya, **_Hyorinmaru rumbled uneasily. _**Aizen let you go without a fight, that is unlike him.**_

_**Well, maybe you should consider the fact that he just received a Hogyoku to the face,**_ the black dragon snorted. _**I don't think he'll be able to get over the fact that you actually did that. Remember that look on his face? Probably all of the Espada are too busy laughing at him to chase after us!**_

0-0-0

"He did WHAT?!" laughed Ichimaru Gin. The fox-faced man was trying very hard to control his mirth. He wasn't doing a very good job. Anybody looking at him could tell that the ex- 3rd Squad captain was about to start rolling on the floor in hysterics.

But then again, almost all of the other inhabitants of the room were having the exact same problem. After semi-recovering from the little…incident with the Hogyoku, Aizen had summoned Gin and Tosen, as well as his Espada (A/N: assume that the Hueco Mundo arc never happened, and all of the Espada are still alive…for now anyway (laughs evilly)). They were all gathered in Aizen's throne room, staring at their leader.

The undisputed ruler of Hueco Mundo held an ice-pack to his face, his visible eye glaring at them as if daring them to laugh. The Espada were all displaying a wide range of emotions.

Barragan stood as solemnly as always, though he was inwardly smirking at his leader's misfortune.

Stark and Halibel just looked bored.

Ulquiorra's green eyes were wide with distress. Aizen-sama had been beaten by a kid? The 4th Espada's world was collapsing around him, how could his life ever be the same when his god had been defeated by a mere boy?!

Nnoitra was grinning, his smile showing too many teeth. Glancing at Ulquiorra, who was still trying to cope with the loss of his idol, he leaned over and punched the 4th Espada hard in the gut. "I've been meaning to do that for years," the 5th Espada laughed maniacally, as Ulquiorra fell to the floor. "And let me tell you, it feels GOOD!"

"Shut it, Nnoitra," sighed Grimmjow. The 5th and 6th Espada glowered at each other, hands on their zanpakuto.

"The boy must pay for insulting Aizen-sama," said Zommari, fingering his necklace of teeth.

"The boy would make an interesting test subject," mused Szayel Apotro. The 8th Espada glared at the 7th. "Keep your hands off him, the boy is mine!"

Aaroniero and Yammy said nothing.

A giant brawl broke out, Nnoitra and Grimmjow drew their zanpakuto and began to fight, while Ulquiorra, who had recovered from Nnoitra's blow, punched and kicked the 5th Espada with surprising ferocity for the normally calm Arrancar.

Meanwhile, Zommari and Szayel Aporro were glaring at each other, searching for weakness. Yammy, not wanting to miss anything, joined in the battle between Grimmjow, Nnoitra, and Ulquiorra.

The room soon became a chaotic mass of battling figures.

"EVERYBODY SHUT UP !" roared Aizen, giving the warring Espada his best one-eyed death glare. Instantly, the room settled down, though all of the Espada were glaring at each other.

Tosen and Gin were the only ones not affected by the death glare Aizen was giving the room, Gin because he had seen it so many time he was immune to its effects (and his eyes were closed most of the time anyway), and Tosen because he was, well, blind…

"There's no way that we are going to let Hitsugaya escape from Hueco Mundo!" snarled Aizen, his cool attitude had been completely shattered by the events that had taken place over the past hour.

"We really should invite Hitsugaya-kun to come over more. He's caused ya ta let all of ya emotions out 'stead 'a bottlin' 'em all inside ya like ya usually do." smirked Gin.

Aizen ignored him. During his angry outburst, the icepack that he had been holding had slipped from his face.

"Shit…" Aizen said, as his face was revealed.

"Aw, Aizen-sama, ya look jus' like a giant panda!" exclaimed Gin happily. The Hogyoku had left a large black bruise just above Aizen's right eye, so that yes, he DID look like a giant panda.

"Yer so cute, I just wanna hug ya," the silver-haired man said, as he sidled over to Aizen.

"Stay away from me!" Aizen shouted fearfully, as he took a step back. The ruler of Hueco Mundo began to rub his temples, he was developing a massive migrane, and he thought his head was going to explode.

_I wonder if Soul Society would still take me back? _The ex-captain then remembered how he betrayed the whole Soul Society so that he could take over the universe. _Probably not, though maybe I could manage to blame it all on Gin, he's beginning to really creep me out. It almost seems as if he's manipulating all the different sides and groups against each other for his own sadistic amusement... _(A/N: seriously though, doesn't it seem like that is just what Gin's doing? he's probably going to betray Aizen and launch his own evil scheme)

The alarm bells began to ring, jolting Aizen from his thoughts.

"As if this day couldn't get any worse," he sighed, feeling the last of his sanity slipping away.

"Intruder alert! Invaders have been detected in Hueco Mundo!"

A large T.V. screen slid down from the ceiling with images captured by the security cameras.

Aizen's mouth dropped open for the second time in an hour. "What. The. Hell. Is. Going. On?

"Umm, could somebody inform me of what's going on?" asked Tosen.

"What's going on Tosen, is that ALL OF THE GOTEI 13 SEEM TO BE GATHERED A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY FROM LAS NOCHES!!!" Aizen said, his voice rising into an angry scream.

"Sorry for asking, O Aizen-sama, but it's not my fault that I'm BLIND!" yelled Tosen, for once losing his normally cool temper.

Gin smirked, highly amused. He tried all the time to make his fellow defectors lose their cool, as seeing them angry made him happy, and now both of them were screaming at each other.

"That's righ', let it all out, it'll make ya feel much better," the fox-faced man said soothingly.

They both turned on him. "I don't pay you to be my therapist, Gin!" shouted Aizen.

"Your attitude is obscuring the path of justice," agreed Tosen.

"Ya don't actually pay me, Aizen, and ya can go ta hell Tosen," said Gin, egging both sides on for his sadistic amusement.

The Espada looked on in silence. "…Pardon me, Aizen-sama, but shouldn't we be doing something about the shinigami?" ventured Halibel.

Aizen and Tosen both calmed down, to Gin's regret.

"You're right," Aizen said. "Summon all of the Arrancar, and follow me. It's time to finish off these shinigami once and for all!"

0-0-0

_I always wanted to ask you something, _Hitsugaya remarked to his hollow's zanpakuto. He was leaning against Hyorinmaru's icy foreleg and looking at his zanpakuto's counterpart.

_**What is it, little one?**_

_Why are you are separate from Hyorinmaru? I mean, from when I talked to Kurosaki, I've gathered that they both use the same zanpakuto, Zangetsu. So how come you are a separate being? Now that I think of it, I don't even know your name,_ the boy admitted.

_**I'm not exactly sure of that myself,**_ the black dragon replied. _**But my wielder and I were created by the Hogyoku, while Kurosaki's hollow was formed differently, and also at the same time that Kurosaki discovered Zangetsu's name. Perhaps that has something to do with it…As to my name, I see no reason for you to know of it now**_ (A/N: this is because I don't know Japanese and am having a hard time thinking of one. If anybody has any suggestions, please let me know!)

Not satisfied with the answer, Hitsugaya was about to respond when his hollow's thought-voice entered the inner world.

_Uhhh…not to bother your little bonding session, but we might be facing some difficulties ahead._

Hitsugaya focused. He gasped in surprise as he felt the reiatsu of what felt like every single member of the Gotei 13, captain, lieutenant, ranked officer, or just plain rank-and-file shinigami.

_Holy shit. I didn't know they cared so much about me, _he thought._ I think you should let me take over again, _the young captain said as he stood up in his inner world. _I don't want to be killed on sight because they feel the reiatsu of a hollow approaching them._

_Very well,_ sighed the hollow. _But if ya get inta any fights that're too hard for ya ta handle, jus' let me know!_

_For the last time, stop talking like Ichimaru!_ Hitsugaya exclaimed, as his inner domain faded and the real world began to appear in his vision.

He could hear the sounds of fighting in the distance and sped up; making sure that the oblivious Momo was securely on his back. When he reached the top of the sand dune, his eyes widened. The desert was filled with the sounds of fighting and screaming, as it seemed as if the entire Gotei 13 was battling the entire Arrancar army.

Actually not quite…none of the Espada, Tosen, Gin, or Aizen were present, and as a result, most of the higher ranked shinigami weren't fighting. Hitsugaya could clearly hear Kenpachi complaining about the lack of strong opponents.

However, as he thought that, the Espada began to appear. Instantly, Grimmjow and Ichigo attacked each other, so did Nnoitra and Kenpachi. The other Espada engaged some of the captains, and it seemed like the real war was just beginning.

Hitsugaya began running again, even though it seemed as if the shinigami were holding their own,there were still a great deal of Arrancar, and most of the shinigami fighting were quite honestly pretty useless. They didn't even know their zanpakuto's names and would probably would end up paralyzed by the high reiatsu of the captain/Espada battles.

As he ran closer to the battle, Hitsugaya saw his lieutenant Matsumoto along with her friend Izuru Kira attacking the 7th Espada, Zommari. The two lieutenants were attempting to defend lesser members of their squads from the Arrancar's attack. The large Espada was obviously toying with them; he hadn't even released his zanpakuto, while both Matsumoto and Kira had released their shikai. Both were covered in blood, while the Arrancar had barely been hurt. Nobody else was around to help them; they were all engaged in battles of their own.

"Shit!" cursed Hitsugaya. "I've got to help them!" Carefully, he placed Momo on the ground, looking sadly at her blank gaze. "Momo, try and fight the hypnosis, you're stronger than Aizen, I just know you are!"

For a second, he thought he saw life flash in her empty eyes, but then it faded away, once again replaced by vacancy.

Seeing that brief spark gave Hitsugaya hope, he resolved that he would keep trying to break the spell of Kyoka Suigetsu. But first—

"Reign over the frozen heavens, Hyorinmaru!" Hitsugaya called as he unsheathed his zanpakuto.

The great ice dragon soared from his blade and headed for the Espada. Zommari was too busy taunting the two lieutenants to notice the majestic dragon until it crashed into his back. The Espada was frozen mid-smirk.

0-0-0

Matsumoto was breathing hard, she and Kira exchanged looks, certain that they were about to die. Their attacks were useless against the toughened skin of an Espada. _I'm sorry taicho, _Matsumoto thought. _I did the best I could._ Directing the cloud of ashes that was Heineko up for one final attempt, her eyes widened as a familiar dragon of water and ice soared from the sky and froze Zommari solid. Kira easily shattered their now-frozen enemy, and both lieutenants dropped to the ground, exhausted.

"That was Hyorinmaru!" gasped Kira.

"That means that Hitsugaya-taicho is nearby!" exclaimed Matsumoto, her blue-grey eyes searching for the wielder of Hyorinmaru.

She smiled happily as she saw her small captain making his way towards her, carrying a figure which she guessed was Hinamori on his back.

Suddenly her jaw dropped, smile vanishing.

"Taicho! Behind you!"

0-0-0

Hitsugaya resheathed Hyorinmaru and picked up Momo again. As he walked towards his waving fukutaicho, he heard her call.

"Taicho! Behind you!"

Hitsugaya spun around.

"Oh, SHIT!"

Tosen, Gin, and of course, Aizen were standing a few feet behind him.

"Where d'ya think you're goin', Hitsugaya-kun?" asked Gin with a wide grin.

"You didn't think that we'd let you escape that easily did you?" asked Aizen.

0-0-0

**I know this chapter wasn't the greatest, but i hope you liked it anyway . **

**Please review, especially if you have ideas for the name of Hitsugaya's hollow's zanpakuto (if you give me a suggestion, i will make sure to credit you in the next chapter, but please make sure to me the meaning of the name).**

**See you soon**

**-stormwolf527**


	12. the attack of panda sama!

**Hey everybody, in honor of Hitsugaya's birthday, here is chapter 12!!!**

**for some reason, there is a lot of Tosen-whumping, don't ask me why, i just felt like it :)**

**thanks to all who reviewed, special thanks to **Koneko144**,** **for helping me find a name for Hitsugaya's hollow's zanpakuto, as well as** Raidon Phantom **for your suggestion. arigato!**

**i realized that i've been forgetting to put in disclaimers so this one stands for all:**

**Disclaimer: i don't own Bleach, never have, and sadly, probably never will...**

**Read, review, and enjoy!!!**

0-0-0

"_Taicho! Behind you!"_

_Hitsugaya spun around._

"_Oh, SHIT!"_

_Tosen, Gin, and of course, Aizen were standing a few feet behind him._

"_Where d'ya think you're goin', Hitsugaya-kun?" asked Gin with a wide grin._

"_You didn't think that we'd let you escape that easily did you?" asked Aizen._

0-0-0

"Shit." Hitsugaya repeated again. Just as he had been about to reach relative safety, his 3 greatest enemies had appeared.

His green eyes searched frantically for an escape route but found none. Hitsugaya was cornered. He couldn't draw Hyorinmaru without dropping Momo, and he was all too aware that Aizen would not hesitate to kill his former subordinate.

Speaking of Aizen…

Hitsugaya couldn't stop the smirk as he looked at Aizen's face, admiring his handiwork. The large black panda-ish mark on Aizen's eye lessened the seriousness of the situation that he was in.

Aizen glared as he saw Hitsugaya barely containing his desire to laugh.

"You're going to pay for doing that to my beautiful face," the wannabe world conqueror hissed, sounding more like the 11th Squads narcisstic 5th seat then the leader of the rebel army.

"Don't hurt him too badly, he is still of use to me." Aizen told his fellow traitors. At his signal, Gin and Tosen both attacked Hitsugaya, while the ex-5th Squad captain stood back to enjoy the battle.

Hitsugaya knew that he was in trouble. The white-haired captain dodged a blow from Suzemuchi and leaped over the extended form of Shinso. He dropped to the ground, breathing lightly, as he tried to analyze his opponents. Gin was obviously toying with him, a broad smirk on his face.

"Ya migh' as well give up, Hitsugaya-kun," the fox-faced man said. "Ya can't avoid me forever. So jus' surrender an' we'll look after ya and yer pretty li'l girlfriend."

Hitsugaya snarled as he continued to dodge. The other shinigami were too far away to help him and he was beginning to tire. But the dragon in him refused to surrender.

"No," he hissed. "I will never give in to you! I swore to protect Momo, and I will, even if it means dying myself!"

Gin only laughed in response, and the desperate game of cat-and-mouse continued.

Suddenly, both Gin and Tosen attacked at once. And while twisting away from his attackers, Hitsugaya's grip on Hinamori loosened. The girl dropped to the sandy ground of Hueco Mundo as Hitsugaya landed a few feet away.

Instantly spinning around, Hitsugaya ran back towards his friend, hoping to reach her before the enemy.

Gin's Shinso was speeding towards Hinamori, and it seemed as if Hinamori would actually get impaled by the ex-captain this time. But with a burst of strength that Hitsugaya hadn't known he possessed, the white-haired boy managed to grab Hinamori and roll to the side.

Hitsugaya breathed a sigh of relief as Shinso whistled past his ear.

Then he began to choke, spitting out blood as he looked down at his chest. A zanpakuto that Hitsugaya recognized as Tosen's Suzemuchi was buried in his chest up to the hilt.

"Damn…them…" Hitsugaya whispered as blood poured out from the wound. He thought of Hinamori as his vision began to fade.

"I'm…so sorry…Momo…"

Then the boy fell backwards, lying covered in blood on top of Hinamori as if he could protect her with his body.

0-0-0

"Tosen," sighed Aizen. "You weren't supposed to kill him. But I guess you couldn't help it, being blind and all."

Tosen made the equivalent of a sightless glare at Aizen. He wasn't sure anymore of why he had joined Aizen in the first place—Aizen, as well as Ichimaru and all of the Espada, took pleasure in tormenting him about his lack of sight. The blind man made a move to retrieve his zanpakuto from the fallen boy's body, but stopped short. The spiritual pressure of the boy had suddenly skyrocketed, and it didn't seem like a shinigami's, but more like a…hollow's.

0-0-0

Matsumoto stared at her fallen taicho in shock. She had been too far away to help him when Tosen's zanpakuto had gone into his chest, and tears were streaming down her face at the thought of his death. What were the odds of a replacement taicho being short enough for her give one of infamous hugs to? The blonde shinigami looked away, blinking back tears. (A/N: no, this is not Hitsu/Matsu, though I might write one next)

"Look, Rangiku-san!" exclaimed Kira. "Hitsugaya-taicho is still alive!" Filled with hope, Matsumoto turned her head back towards the scene.

Her taicho's eyes were still closed, but he she could see that he was breathing. Not wanting to look at the bloody hole in his chest, Matsumoto turned her attention to her young taicho's face. The female shinigami frowned in confusion. Was he…smiling?

"He almost looks like—" Kira broke off, not wanting to bring back the memories that saying the name of his former captain brought back.

Still with closed eyes and that faint Gin-like smile on his face, Hitsugaya reached down and plucked Suzemuchi from his chest. Despite the tremendous amount of blood that was dripping from the blade instead of being inside the body where it belonged, Hitsugaya actually stood up.

Matsumoto's jaw dropped. "How is that possible?" she whispered. "He's in need of serious medical attention, it's impossible for him to be doing this! And what's with his reiatsu?!"

Holding the zanpakuto in his hands, the boy's smile widened.

Then his eyes shot open. They were the black and yellow of a hollow's, and filled with bloodlust.

"Ya know, panda-sama," he said to Aizen, with a mocking voice that was reminiscent of Gin. "Ya should teach ya subordinates not ta play wit' knives."

His arm moved so fast that it was a blur, one moment it was held in front of him, grasping Tosen's zanpakuto, the next it was at his side and Suzemuchi was buried in its wielder's chest.

"Otherwise, they might cut themselves." the hollow-boy finished, all trace of light-heartedness gone as he stared challengingly at Aizen.

The shinigami all watched in horror as a hollow's mask began to form over the face of the young taicho. It's color was bluish white, like ice, and shaped like the head of a dragon, with 2 slender horns that protruded from the top.

"Well, I suppose that I should thank you for killing Tosen," Aizen said. "He was beginning to develop a personality…But I'm afraid that I will still have to re-capture and eventually kill you, as you did disfigure my face, _and_ you just called me panda-sama."

The hollow-boy growled. But instead of attacking Aizen as all watching expected, the hollow-boy instead turned to the comatose Hinamori. To everybody's surprise, the dragon-masked figure picked up the female shinigami gently. He then vanished in a lightning-fast shunpo.

The shinigami and arrancar had slowed their fighting, between blows, both sides craned their necks to try and determine where the hollow-boy had vanished to.

"Y'all are lookin' for l'il ol' me?" came the voice that both and wasn't Hitsugaya's. "I feel so special." The hollow-boy was standing in the air, above the area where the non-fighting high ranking members of the Gotei 13 were assembled. Blood was still pouring from his chest, though the masked boy paid no attention to it, instead focusing his fierce yellow eyes on the girl in his arms.

"Release Hinamori-fukutaicho as well as the body of Hitsugaya-taicho immediately." commanded Yammamoto.

The hollow-boy descended to the ground and walked over to Captain Unohana.

"Could you look after the girl for us?" the masked boy asked. "Hitsugaya-kun would be unhappy if she got hurt, and I suppose I did make a promise to him." He carefully placed Hinamori on the ground and straightened up.

"As for you," he hissed, turning to Yammamoto. "I'll say this very slowly so that your old mind can understand: Your precious Hitsugaya-taicho has A GIANT FUCKING HOLE IN HIS FUCKING CHEST! You _do_ see that right? My reiatsu is the only thing that's keeping this body alive!" the hollow screamed, jabbing his finger into the old man's chest to demostrate his point.

All the captains were speechless at the disrespect that the hollow was giving Yammamoto, though they could see that the hollow had a point.

Suddenly, the hollow calmed down.

"Though I'm desperately aching to kick your sorry ass, old man, I've got more important things to kill." The hollow gestured in the direction of Aizen who hadn't moved. "I'd advise you weaklings to all step back, things are going to get pretty messy." The hollow grinned.

Without bothering to see the reception of his comments, the hollow-boy leapt into the air. From the sheath on his back, he pulled out a zanpakuto. It wasn't Hyorinmaru, the blade was black with a dark blue hilt, and the four-pointed star shaped guard was silver.

"Aizen, you are _so_ dead," said the hollow-boy.

Aizen smirked and placed his hand on the hilt of Kyoka Suigetsu."We'll see about that, little hollow-kun."

The dragon-masked boy snarled at the nickname. "Conquer all, Mizukamimaru!" (A/N: Mizukamimaru means Water God Ring, once again, thank you sooooo much **Koneko144** for helping me come up with the name.)

The crowd all held their breath as they waited to see the released form of the hollow's zanpakuto.

It looked as if the very air was coming alive. Upon second thought the watchers realized that it was not the air, but the water molecules in it. The hollow concentrated and the water condensed into a giant blob, which slowly split into 3.

2 of the blobs lengthened, transforming into large dragons similar to Hitsugaya's Hyorinmaru. The other blob shrunk, forming an identical clone of the hollow-boy, complete with a sword.

The real hollow smiled. "This is the power of my Mizukamimaru. It allows me to manipulate the water molecules in the air, and transform them into whatever I want. However, there is a shortage of water here, as it is a desert, but I think that this will be adequate for crushing this panda-faced scumbag."

He leapt onto the back of one of the dragons, and his clone imitated him. Both dragons launched themselves at Aizen, teeth and claws extended, while their riders pointed their swords at the villain.

Instead of running away or wetting his pants in fear at the sight of the 2 dragons descending from the sky, Aizen smirked. Instantly, he was surrounded by multiple copies of himself, using the power of Kyoka Suigetsu.

But the hollow boy smirked in return. "I think that the Hogyoku must have knocked your brains out or something, panda-sama." Both he and his clone dove towards the figure on the far right. "You're so vain; you forgot to give your clones that nice big bruise on your face! You are so pathetic; I am going to make a much better master of the universe then you!"

"Shit," said the panda-eyed Aizen. He managed to dodge the attack from the clone, but the real hollow's Mizukamimaru managed to slice his shoulder open.

0-0-0

"He might be a hollow, Yama-jii, but so far he's managed to do better than anybody else has at killing Aizen." Captain Kyoraku said to his mentor. "Maybe we should recruit him; he can't be worse than Kenpachi."

"Apart from that tiny problem of him wanting to take over the universe that is." Yammamoto said, his tone as blistering as the flames from his zanpakuto. "And he called me an old man, that is unacceptable. He will have to be eliminated as soon as the battle is over."

"You don't think that's a little harsh?"

"In case you haven't realized, Kyoraku-taicho, after the massacre of the Central 46, I alone control the _entire_ Soul Society. Kyoraku read the hidden message in the old man's words (I can do whatever the hell I please, and if you mess with me, I can declare you a traitor because I've gone mad with power), and decided not to push the point.

0-0-0

On the battlefield, Aizen was seething with rage. Nobody insulted him and lived, _nobody_! And despite what the hollow said, he wasn't actually stupid—he had managed to create a brilliant plan to conquer the universe after all—he had just missed one tiny detail. And that brat thought that he had gotten the better of Aizen Souske? He would pay for his arrogance, and Aizen knew just how to do it.

With one swift motion, Aizen sliced the clone and its dragon with his zanpakuto. The two figures burst into a shower of water droplets that soaked into the dry ground of Hueco Mundo.

"You're going to pay for that, Aizen!" snarled the hollow-boy.

"No," smirked Aizen. He reached into his robe, and pulled out the Hogyoku. The hollow-boy's eyes widened in recognition tinged with confusion. "_You're_ going to pay, especially for your stupidity in returning this to me."

"Who're you calling stupid, you panda-faced bastard?!"

Aizen ignored the outraged hollow and continued. "You forgot that I _created_ you with this, hollow-kun. I can use it to destroy you as well!"

"I'd like to see you try," the hollow scoffed, but Aizen could detect uncertainty in his voice.

"Ja-ne, hollow-kun. I'd say it was fun knowing you, only you did mess up my face and all."

0-0-0

From the circle of captains, Urahara Kisuke gasped. The other shinigami looked at him quizzically. "What's wrong, Kisuke?" asked Ukitake.

"Aizen is going to use the Hogyoku on the hollow, thinking that it will destroy him." cried Urahara. The face of the normally cheerful man had gone pale. "This was why I hid some knowledge about the Hogyoku in Hitsugaya-kun's mind—the information that I was trying to conceal was about what will happen if Aizen succeeds in doing this!"

"Explain yourself." ordered Yammamoto.

"So far, the Hogyoku has only been used on beings that were either full shinigami or hollow," Urahara explained. "It broke down some of the barriers in the recipients mind, creating an alter personality for them. But the Hogyoku's true power is activated when it is used on a being that already is an arrancar, or a viazard like Hitsugaya-kun. Then, it will totally break down the barrier between both sides. If Aizen uses the Hogyoku, Hitsugaya-kun will be completely fused with his hollow. The resulting being will be about 4 times as strong as a captain-classed shinigami."

Everybody gasped, but Urahara hadn't finished.

"Not only that, but it is probable that the complete fusion is irreversible." His last sentence hung over the crowd ominously.

"Irreversible…" As one, the group looked at Aizen and the glowing orb in his hands and heard him speak to the hollow.

"Ja-ne, hollow-kun. I'd say it was fun knowing you, only you did mess up my face and all."

"Is that the best line the guy could come up with?" snickered Urahara. "He really needs a girlfriend."

In the distance, the hollow screamed as his body began to glow with green light. The light grew brighter and brighter, until the watchers had to look away or risk blindness (this wouldn't have applied to Tosen of course, but he's dead. Life lesson people: don't stab angry hollows, they just might stab you back…).

When the light dimmed, the shinigami stared in shock at the figure that was now standing before Aizen…

0-0-0

**hehe, cliffie...please don't kill me, i'm too young too die!!! and it is shiro-chan's birthday after all (maybe he'll grow some this year...not that i want him to...he's cute short) :)**

**i hope you liked this chapter, please let me know what you think.**

**Merry Christmas everybody!!!**

**arigato and ja ne,**

**-stormwolf527**


	13. surprise!

**Hooray, winter break is finally here!!! this means that a lot more Hitsugaya goodness will be coming your way this holiday, so keep an eye out!**

**This was originally one long chapter, but it was getting too long, so i had to split it. so even though this chapter is really short, the next one will be longer, and it's already in progress, so it will be up soon.**

**Also, Aizen is kinda OOC, and there isn't much action, but i'd love to hear your thoughts on it anyway.**

0-0-0

_When the light dimmed, the shinigami stared in shock at the figure that was now standing before Aizen… _

0-0-0

The first thing that they noticed was his face. The entire left side was covered by a half-mask with draconic features that was identical to the one that the hollow had been wearing, while the right side was normal. The boy's right eye was the familiar green while his left eye was the black and yellow of a hollow's. His head was topped by his trademark snowy hair.

The boy was dressed in an outfit that was a combination of shinigami's robes and a hollow's armor, and his left hand had small claws on it. He was holding a zanpakuto in both hands. The blade was entirely black with a golden crossguard and blue-grey hilt that was decorated with pieces that appeared to be made from the same material as his mask.

The boy looked at his sword for a few seconds and smiled, his white hair waving in the wind.

"Only Aizen could attempt to kill his enemy and end up making him stronger!" the fused being laughed, his voice was an eerie combination of Hitsugaya's and the mocking tones of the hollow's. "How pathetic!"

Aizen looked at the new form of his enemy. "So this is the power of complete fusion? You would make a worthy addition to my army, Hitsugaya-kun. Together, we would be undefeatable."

The boy laughed. "As if. All you've managed to do after leaving the shinigami is get a huge bruise on your face. You're not capable of leading anything higher than a Hell Butterfly, and now that I think about it, a Hell Butterfly could probably kick your ass!"

"You're refusing my offer then?"

"Hell yeah. The only functional thing that you produce is carbon dioxide, and even that's useless because not even plants stoop low enough to live here!" (A/N: had a bio exam today…)

The boy continued "As you won't do us all the favor of dying, it looks like I'm going to have to do it myself." He raised his sword and launched himself at Aizen.

The boy moved so fast that Aizen didn't have a chance to block the blade. The black zanpakuto slid straight into him. "What?" exclaimed the boy, surprised.

Then the figure of Aizen shattered.

"Oh, shit," hissed Hitsugaya. But before he could move, blood began pouring out of him through a massive new wound on his chest. His zanpakuto clattered to the ground.

Aizen held Hitsugaya up with one hand, Kyoka Suigetsu held to the white-haired boy's throat. "Well, Hitsugaya-kun," Aizen said. "We've been in this situation before, haven't we? You thought that you could kill me, but instead end up falling to one of my illusions. You really don't learn, do you?"

"Fuck…you…" the boy said as he gasped for air. Aizen laughed, loosening his fingers a little so that his captive could breathe a little.

"Even with your so called "quadruple strength", you haven't even landed a scratch on me! I guess you were all talk after all, because you didn't even give me a real fight as a warm up for my conquest of Soul Society! You were fooled by the whole panda thing, and thought that because you got off one lucky shot, you could beat me! Me, Aizen Souske, the ruler of the universe! You've underestimated me for the last time, Hitsugaya-kun!"

"You haven't conquered anything yet, except for an army of lowlifes who are even more pathetic than you." the white-haired boy rolled his eyes. "You know the number one reason why I hate you Aizen? You talk way too much—I'd rather have you kill me than listen to your mindless droning!"

Aizen paused. "Well do _you_ know something? I've always disliked you because you're just so…well short! And now you think that you're so great because you look like a hollow was going to eat you but decided against it at the last minute."

"Just shut up already…that last part didn't even make sense! You're boring the nice people who are reading this story."

The ruler of Hueco Mundo reverted to his previous speech. "Anyway…Now that I know the Hogyoku's true power, I no longer have any use for you. And you were starting to get really annoying…so, ja ne, and this time, I mean it!"

As Aizen was about to end Hitsugaya's short (in more ways than one :P) life, a familiar voice rang out.

"No! Shiro-chan!"

0-0-0

**oooh, guess who is finally making an appearance? well this is a hitsuxhina after all... **

**as i said before, the next chapter will be up soon, and it's all about Momo!**

**Happy holidays everybody!**

**-stormwolf527**


	14. the one who always protected me

**Wow! i think that this is my longest chapter so far...**

**it took waaaaay too long to write, but i hope you enjoy it.**

**it focuses on momo, so she refers to him as toshiro.**

**Read, review, and enjoy!!!**

0-0-0

_It was dark. That was all that Momo knew. She had been kidnapped by Ichimaru, she remembered seeing Toshiro's shocked face as the fox-face man had dragged her into the portal._

_Then she had been brought before the man who she both loved and hated at the same time. The man who she would have done anything for, until he stabbed her through her heart and turned her world upside down._

_Then what?_

_Aizen had smiled at her, and then it all went dark._

_Darkness._

_Surrounding her, crushing her, engulfing her._

_She tried calling out, to Tobiume, to Toshiro, to Renji, Kira, anybody. But her screams were swallowed up by the darkness. _

_She couldn't break free._

_She had never truly disliked Aizen Souske before, even though she had heard the stories of what he had done, not only to her and Toshiro, but also to Kuchiki Rukia, Kurosaki Ichigo, and the rest of the Gotei 13._

_She hated him now. _

_When she had looked into his eyes, she had seen none of the compassion and wisdom of the man that she had served with all of her heart. Instead, there was only coldness and ambition. His voice had changed too, from warm and kind to an unfeeling tone that was laced with cool contempt._

"_Ja-ne, Hinamori-kun," he'd said as he unsheathed Kyoka Suigetsu, light shone off the blade, blinding her. And then she was surrounded by the darkness._

_She remembered what she had heard of the power of Kyoka Suigetsu, and how its complete hypnosis had deceived the entire Gotei 13. She guessed it had been used on her for some reason, and that was why she was alone in this world of darkness._

_But no matter how hard she tried, her anger wasn't enough to break the spell. Eventually, she stopped struggling. What was the point?_

_Then she heard the voice. His voice. The voice that had always been a part of her life, from their childhood in Rukongai to their hectic daily life in the Soul Society. The voice that had both teased and comforted her._

"_Momo…" the words came slowly, as if they were coming to her from the other side of the universe. "Try and fight the hypnosis, you're stronger than Aizen, I just know you are!" _

_His voice gave her strength, just like it had back in Rukongai when she had been terrified of the dark…_

_0-0-0-Flashback-0-0-0_

"_Shiro-chan," she whispered, poking him on the shoulder. "Shiro-chan, wake up!"_

_His white hair was the only visible thing in the darkness. "What do you want, Bedwetter-Momo?" he sighed grumpily. "I'm trying to sleep!"_

"_I can't sleep, Shiro-chan," the girl said softly. "I'm too scared…it's so dark in here. I'm afraid that if I go to sleep then something is going to jump out and attack me. " Little tears ran down her face._

_The small boy rolled over and looked at her, his green eyes shining brightly in the gloom._

"_Baka, Bedwetter-Momo," he said with gentleness that she had never heard before. "Nothing is going to hurt you—I'm her and I'll protect you." Oddly enough Momo felt comforted, even though he was younger than her._

_She smiled shakily. "Promise?"_

_He reached out and wiped away her tears with his small hand_

"_I promise, Momo. I'll protect you, for now and forever."_

_0-0-0-End Flashback-0-0-0_

"_Shiro-chan," Momo whispered. His words kindled determination within her that burned in her chest like fire. "Aizen is a lot more powerful than those creatures that I used to see in the shadows when we were kids. But I can tell that you are still trying to protect me, just like you always have, even when the odds seem to be against you."_

_0-0-0-Flashback-0-0-0_

"_Don't worry Shiro-chan," Momo called. "I'll be back to visit soon."_

"_Don't come back, Bedwetter-Momo," the white haired boy shouted after her. Momo ignored him as she ran off. She could tell that beneath his grumpy exterior he was worried about her. He took his promise to protect her seriously, even though he was only a kid._

"_Where do you think you're going?" A young man barred her path, leering at her. Momo vaguely recognized him, having seen him occasionally around their district._

"_Please let me by," she whispered._

_He smirked, enjoying his power over her. "I'll consider it…if you offer me something in return."_

_He advanced towards her while Momo backed away. Her mind was blank; no solution was forthcoming on how to escape the situation._

_Then, the air temperature dropped dramatically. Toshiro sauntered over to Momo and stood between her and the man, though due to his height she could still see her harasser. "Is this man bothering you, Momo?" the boy asked calmly, though there was an icy edge in his voice that made it sound as if it was coming from a much older person. _

_The man laughed. "So you have a kid protecting you? What's he going to do, cry on me? I'd like to see you try, snowpuff!"_

_The snowpuff in question glared in response. The temperature lowered another few degrees._

"_What kind of man are you, to try and harm an innocent girl?" In a blur, Toshiro was standing next to the man. His short stature meant that the top of his head was about level with the man's hips. However, this put him next to…an ideal attacking spot, if you catch my drift…_

_With a swift kick, the man was down for the count, curled on the ground in the fetal position clutching his wounded parts._

_In another instant, Toshiro was back at Momo's side. "Did he hurt you, Momo?"_

"_N-no, but how did you do that, Shiro-chan? You moved so fast, I couldn't even see you…" _

_The small boy shrugged, obviously avoiding the question. "Does it matter? You're safe now, and that's all that's important."_

"_Well, just you wait, Shiro-chan!"Momo exclaimed. "When I come back from the Shinigami Academy, I'll be so strong that I can knock men like him out just by staring at him."_

"_I'd like to see you try," scoffed Toshiro, his mocking side returning. "After all, you still wet the bed!"_

"_Don't be so mean Shiro-chan!"_

_0-0-0-End Flashback-0-0-0_

_Momo smiled at the memory of little Toshiro standing up for her. _

"_You followed me to Shinigami Academy to keep an eye on me, even though you denied it. In the Academy, when even Renji-kun and Kira-kun couldn't cheer me up, you were always there. Your touch, the smile that grew on your face whenever you saw me, all made me feel at home. I think that as long as you're nearby, then I will always be at home. Because I know that you are always there whenever I need you. And now…I can hear your voice, and I know that you are there."_

_For an instant, the darkness around her seemed to lessen. _

"_Even now, you keep on trying to help me, even though there is seemingly no escape from Aizen's spell. And I know that you will always stand by me, no matter what." _

_0-0-0-Flashback-0-0-0_

_Momo slowly opened her eyes. She was lying on a bed in an unfamiliar room. She could tell by the decorations that she was in the 4__th__ Division. She shifted slightly, and saw that she was hooked up to a machine. "What happened to me?" she whispered, her voice was raspy from disuse. "The last thing that I can remember is seeing Aizen-taicho…I followed Ichimaru-taicho to the Seijou Touyorin, and Aizen-taicho was there. He wasn't dead after all! But how did I end up here?"_

_Just then, the door opened and Yamada Hanataro, the 7__th__ seat of the 4__th__ Squad walked in._

"_Hinamori-fukutaicho!" the timid black-haired shinigami exclaimed. "You're awake at last! I'd better notify Unohana-taicho!"He dashed off, smacking into the doorframe as he ran out. Momo could hear him hopping down the hall in pain._

_A few moments later, Unohana Retsu, the motherly leader of the 4__th__ Squad entered the room._

"_So you're finally awake, Hinamori-kun," smiled Unohana warmly. She handed a glass of water to Momo who drank greedily._

"_Now, I expect that you would like to know what has happened. Momo nodded, her gaze fixated on Unohana as the older shinigami explained the truth behind Aizen Souske and his plans to rule over the heavens._

_After the revelations, Unohana quietly exited the room, leaving Momo alone with her thoughts. Momo stared blankly ahead. She knew that Unohana-taicho had no reason to lie to her, but how could something like that possibly be true? The man who she had idolized, who she had pushed herself to her limits in order to server—a traitor? She thought that it was more likely that Ichimaru Gin had coerced her captain into betraying the Soul Society._

_The fukutaicho of the 4__th__ Squad, Kotetsu Isane entered. "Hinamori-san, you have a visitor." She moved closer to Momo and whispered "He's been badgering Unohana-taicho about you ever since you went into a coma. We all know that he wouldn't have left your side at all if his duties didn't require him to." In a louder voice she called "You can come in now, Hitsugaya-taicho."_

_She slipped out as Hitsugaya entered the room, his green eyes lit up when he saw that she was sitting up in bed. "Momo—I mean Hinamori—, you've recovered!"_

_She smiled at him as he sat down on the small wooden chair next to her bed. She could tell that he had been worried sick about her, and she felt bad that she had put him through such suffering on her account. But when she opened her mouth to apologize, he cut her off._

"_I know just what you're going to say—you're going to apologize for making me worry about you, aren't you?" He smirked at her dumfounded expression. "Come on Momo, we grew up together, do you think that I can't tell what you're thinking? It doesn't matter about me anyway; you should be worrying about yourself. You've been in a coma for the past month, because of that bastard Aizen."_

_Her face fell at the mention of her former captain. Hitsugaya noticed that and gritted his teeth angrily._

"_I'm so sorry Momo," his eyes were dark. Momo looked up at her childhood friend in confusion. _

"_I couldn't protect you. I couldn't stop Aizen from hurting you. If only I'd been faster, then maybe this whole thing might never have happened…I let you down."_

_Momo reached out and grabbed his hand in her own. He flinched a little at the contact, but then relaxed, enjoying the warmth of her hand in his._

"_Why are you apologizing to me?" Momo cried. "It's my fault! Unohana-taicho told me about what happened to you! It's because you were trying to protect me that you got hurt!"_

_They both sat in silence for a moment. Momo was thinking about the state that her squad must be in, since she was in the hospital and Aizen-taicho was…missing. She could tell by the surprise that people had shown when they saw that she had woken up that many had believed she would remain in a coma forever. Except for Toshiro, who had always believed in her._

_She looked up at him, her friend and protector, and wished that they could just stay in their little bubble of tranquility, without worrying about the upcoming wars. She didn't know if she had the strength to fight against Aizen-taicho. The white-haired boy seemed to feel her turbulent thoughts and squeezed her hand, as if trying to infuse her with his strength. And sure enough, she did feel stronger. But part of that strength was the knowledge that Toshiro was by her side, and always would be._

"_Thank you Shiro-chan. I know that most people thought that I would never wake up. But you did. You always had faith in me. After all that's happened, it's your belief in me that's giving me the strength to go on right now."_

_He met her gaze, his green eyes both fierce and warm at the same time._

"_Stay strong Momo. And know that I will always be by your side to help you."_

_0-0-0-End Flashback-0-0-0_

"_Why should I stop fighting when you haven't yet given up?" Momo gathered all of her strength and fought the spell of Kyoka Suigetsu with everything she had. _

_But it still wasn't enough, and she remained surrounded by the darkness._

_But her struggle must have had some effect, because she could suddenly feel Toshiro's presence, along with that of another. Aizen. Momo gasped. She could tell that Toshiro was in danger._

'_Shiro-chan!' she thought. With a strength that she didn't know she possessed, Momo smashed at the spell. The darkness around her faded against her onslaught._

"_Shiro-chan!" she screamed, and suddenly she was blinking in the bright light of the Hueco Mundo desert. _

0-0-0

"Shiro-chan!"

The shinigami all stared in shock as Momo struggled to her feet. She could hear the whispers all around her. "She's awake!" exclaimed one. "She broke the spell of Aizen's zanpakuto?" asked another. The members of the 5th Squad were all cheering as they saw their fukutaicho stand up. But Momo paid no attention to them. Her brown eyes were focused only on Toshiro.

Aizen, who had been about to slit Toshiro's throat with his zanpakuto, lowered his sword in surprise. "How is that possible?!" he roared. "My complete hypnosis is perfect! Nothing should be able to break it!"

Taking advantage of his enemy's inattention, Toshiro bit down hard on the hand that was clutching his throat. Aizen dropped the shinigami/hollow hybrid in shock, and the white-haired boy instantly grabbed his fallen zanpkauto.

"Shiro-chan!" Momo called again, staring at the new appearance of her childhood friend.

Hitsugaya's half-masked face turned towards her. "Momo…but how did you manage to break free from Aizen's spell?"

"I'd like to know that myself actually," Aizen said in a tone that was almost pleasant.

"I…I was thinking about you, Shiro-chan," Momo admitted. "I remembered all the times that you protected me, and when I sensed that you were in trouble, I knew that it was my turn to help you."

"Love…" mused Aizen. "Well, Hinamori-kun, how do you feel knowing that the one you broke free for is a half-hollow monstrosity?!"

Momo met the mismatched eyes of Hitsugaya. "It doesn't matter to me!" she screamed. "He's still Hitsugaya Toshiro, the one who swore to protect me no matter what, who always has stood by me, and gave me the strength to break free of your spell! No matter what he looks like, that will never change, and I will always love him!" _Wait…did I just say that I love him?_

Matsumoto placed her hand on Momo's shoulder. "You finally said it, Hinamori-chan!" the blonde exclaimed happily. "I mean, we all knew it, but we have proof! Hisagi-kun and Renji-kun owe me a few nights of drinks when all this is over!" Said shinigami sighed, imagining how much their pockets were going to be drained by Matsumoto's endless capacity for sake. _We shouldn't have bet against her…_

Momo was blushing. _I never realized how much I cared for him. But this whole experience has made me realize how much he had done for me, and how much that means to me. _

"Shiro-chan!" she yelled again. "I know that you swore to protect me, and that means that you won't rest until Aizen is dead. But be careful! Please don't do anything reckless—if you died, I don't know what I'd do! I...I love you."

He smiled, and in that smile she could behind his outward appearance and see her friend, the one who had sworn to protect her, and who she loved with all her heart.

"Momo…get as far as you can away from here." His eyes grew dark. "I'm going to make sure that this bastard—he pointed his zanpakuto at Aizen—will never be able to hurt anybody ever again."

"Shiro-chan…what are you going to do?" Momo asked fearfully.

"Don't worry Momo, I will never leave you. I promise," He looked at her again one final time.

"Bankai!"

0-0-0

**i hope that you weren't too disappoiinted by that chapter...**

**momo was really hard to write, i think that's because my character is more like hitsugaya.**

**anyway, the big battle scene is coming up next chapter, so stay tuned!**

**Happy New Year everybody!!!**

**-stormwolf527**


	15. the trapper was trapped

**i hate this chapter, i really do...**

**i think the whole fight part turned out kind of pathetic, but i've been working on it for so long that i just couldn't stand looking at it any more and decided to throw it out there.**

**feel free to rip it to pieces if you want...**

0-0-0

"Bankai! Benikiri Mizukamimaru! (A/N: Crimson Mist of the Water God Ring…thank you so much for the cool name, Koneko144!!!)"

With those words, the temperature dropped drastically. The wind picked up, making the sand of Hueco Mundo ripple like ocean waves. It began to snow, first lightly, but then with increased ferocity. The watchers had to shield their eyes from flying ice. Then the storm began to converge. It swirled around the white-haired figure that had called it, until his shape was lost in the fierce wind and snow.

But as suddenly as it arrived, the storm died down. And the watchers could only gape in awe at the sight that was before them. Even Yammamoto's mouth dropped until it was level with his beard. There was no mistaking the power of a complete-fusion bankai, not with evidence right in front of their stunned eyes.

For what hovered before them was a dragon.

A majestic winged dragon, seemingly formed entirely from ice. It had dark blue horns and a long tail. If you looked closely, you could see a pattern of small 4-petalled flowers that ran down its side. But its most startling feature were its eyes, which were mismatched. One was emerald green, while the other was bright yellow.

The astounded murmurs of the shinigami began to die down.

"Looks like our little Shiro-chan has grown up, ne Jyuu-kun?" smiled Kyoraku-taicho. "But do you think he's strong enough to defeat Aizen?"

Momo watched the dragon who was also her oldest and closest friend, and hopefully more. Even though she hadn't had an inkling of his true power back then, Aizen had still been a remarkably powerful shinigami. Could Hitsugaya beat him? She could see the determination in the dragons's mismatched eyes to defeat his enemy, but was it enough? She tried to send all of her strength across the distance that was separating her from the one that she loved.

The dragon that was Hitsugaya still hadn't moved. Both of the ice dragon's odd colored eyes were fixed upon the figure of Aizen Souske, who was standing calmly before it.

"Yare, yare," mused Aizen. "So this is what a complete-fusion bankai looks like? It seems to have combined you with your zanpakuto…how fascinating."

"Hey! I was just about to say that!" exclaimed Kurotsuchi-taicho angrily.

Aizen ignored the 12th Squad captain and continued talking to the dragon. "It is a pity that I will have to destroy you…but after what you did to my face, I really see no other option."

The Hitsugaya-dragon lashed his tail and leapt at his enemy. He might not have had a zanpakuto, but he did have teeth and claws that were equally deadly. Confronted by the quickly approaching death-by-dragon, Aizen was forced to change his plans a little and moved hurriedly back.

Their fight started out uneventful—despite the ferocity with which the dragon attacked, he never managed to land a hit on his target, while Aizen was unable to get past the whirring claws to pierce the thick ice that made up the dragon's body. The two struck and dodged, circling higher and higher into the sky.

"This is boring," yawned Kenpachi, covered in blood with his fight with Nnoitra. With his pink-haired lieutenant on his back, the bloodthirsty man went off to terrorize the surviving Espada, mumbling about how lame the biggest battle in the history of the Soul Society was turning out to be.

Then, Hitsugaya decided to try a different tactic. As he dodged a strike from Kyoka Suigetsu, his lean, serpentine body rippled. In response, a giant wave of ice appeared. Aizen was frozen solid in midair, while the dragon launched himself at his enemy with claws outstretched, ready to kill Aizen once and for all.

Or not. (A/N: because, as everybody knows, Fate has something against poor Hitsu-chan).

Instead, Hitsugaya suffered the unpleasant experience of having the ice that he had thought contained his enemy shatter into non-existence, while Kyoka Suigetsu embedded itself deep into his stomach. Again.

Déjà vu, anyone?

"Really, Hitsugaya-kun," smirked Aizen. "Considering that you are supposed to be a tensai and all, I wouldn't have thought that you'd fall for the same trick A THIRD TIME!!!"

Blood splattered everywhere.

Pieces of the sparkling ice that formed the dragon's beautiful body began to shatter, falling to the ground like little stars.

Soon, the only parts of the bankai that remained were the wings and tail, attached to the small body of the half-conscious Hitsugaya. Aizen stood in the sky, his zanpakuto still plunged deep into the half-hollow, laughing at the sight of the white-haired boy's blood running down the length of his blade.

"I guess you really didn't learn anything from those other two times." Aizen mocked. "What a shame…"

Suddenly, Hitsugaya smiled; the teeth on the half-mask that marked him as one who had gone through complete-fusion caused the sight to look even more unnerving.

"I'd be interested to know what you find so funny, Hitsugaya-kun, considering that _you're_ the one who is bleeding to death on the end of _my_ sword." Aizen said, a little annoyed that Hitsugaya had cut off his 'look-how-much-you-suck/how-great-I-am' speech.

Then he felt the sharp pain in his back.

"You really thought I was that stupid?" Hitsugaya hissed. "I know how you like to work Aizen, all about your little illusion tricks. I knew that you would try this again." His arm was wrapped around Aizen's back, almost like he was hugging him (A/N: EWWW, that's a gross thought), grasping onto the hilt of the zanpakuto that Aizen had somehow overlooked, the blade of which was now implanted in the man's back. "So how does it feel, caught in your own trap, being the one stabbed in the back for a change?"

Aizen was shocked; even he hadn't anticipated that the boy would do something like this. "You…you planned this? But… "

"But why? Why would I let myself get stabbed by you? Because I would rather die a thousand times over then let you live. Because I can't stand the thought of you hurting anybody else. Because unlike you, Aizen, I have people that I want to protect. And I would do anything to stop you from hurting them, even if it meant sacrificing myself!"

The two figures stared at each other, each with their sword buried deep into the other.

Aizen was unable to voice a retort. The dark haired man found his vision blurring as he began to lose consciousness for what he suspected was the final time. But he had no regrets.

Hitsugaya was also beginning to black out, the half-mask on his face was cracked and he was covered in blood. However, his feelings about dying were split. He had meant every word that he had said to Aizen, he didn't mind sacrificing himself if that meant Aizen would no longer be in a position to cause harm to anybody. But on the other hand, his heart was heavy. Because him dying meant that Momo would be alone. "I'm so sorry, Momo," he whispered, his word so soft that he doubted they would even reach the shinigami below.

Then he lost consciousness, the ice wings that had held him up shattering into millions of tiny pieces as both he and Aizen plummeted to earth still locked together.

From the ground, Momo screamed, her voice cracking in horror as she watched the one she loved from the sky fall like a shooting star (A/N: Sorry, I must have used that praise at least 3 times in this chapter, but I can't help it—it just sounds so damn poetic T_T)

"Shiro-chan!!!"

0-0-0

**well, there it is...i hope that you didn't find it TOO disappointing. i might rewrite it later if i have the time or am just not so damn lazy 8)**

**review if you want...i've learned that begging doesn't really change people's minds if they are lazy (though it is kinda annoying seeing 100 hits but 2 reviews per chapter)**

**next time...momo's despair**

**-stormwolf527**


	16. i can't think of a title for this one XD

**long update time? idk, i wasn't in the mood...but i went into a writing frenzy this week, so here is chapter 16!**

0-0-0

_Momo screamed, her voice cracking in horror as she watched the one she loved from the sky fall like a shooting star._

"_Shiro-chan!!!"_

0-0-0

Instantly Unohana-taicho was giving order, squads of 4th Division shinigami dashing across the sand in groups in order to heal as many as possible. The remaining members of the Gotei 13 stayed behind to finish up any last battles, though nobody expected much resistance now that Aizen was gone.

Momo decided to search for her friend on her own. She stealthily snuck away from the scene so that no high-ranking shinigami could apprehend her. Closing her eyes, she searched for the presence of Toshiro's familiar reiatsu. After being by his side for so many years she had developed a sort of sixth sense that allowed her to perceive his location, no matter where he was. Even with the effects of the complete fusion, that sense had not changed.

And sure enough, she could feel him, his spiritual pressure faint but still there. Remembering the severity of his wounds, she ran towards as quickly as she could. _Please,_ she thought desperately. _Please hold on Shiro-chan…_

Running faster and faster, she crossed over the final sand dune and reached the spot where he lay. His small body was entangled with that of Aizen, their zanpakuto plunged deep into the other. Aizen was undoubtedly dead, but Momo didn't spare a second thought for her former taicho, instead savagely yanking Toshiro's zanpakuto from the dead man's body.

She then turned her attention to Toshiro. His mask was cracked and his breathing was harsh, his bloody chest rising and falling in irregular heaves. But at least he was still breathing. Momo placed a hand over his chest wound, wincing at the size of it. She might not have been a member of the 4th Division, but she was still a master of kido and could use her powers to perform minor healing. Hopefully, it would be enough until Unohana-taicho arrived.

As she directed her reiatsu into Toshiro's unconscious body, she became aware that something was horribly wrong. Her spell wasn't taking hold, the moment it touched his skin it was almost instantly being destroyed by his hollow-like reiatsu.

In panic, Momo noticed that his breathing was becoming slower and slower. "Shiro-chan!" she cried out, cradling his body in her arms. "Please don't die! You promised me that you would never leave me!"

Her tears mixed with the blood pouring from his wounds. "Why did you do, it Shiro-chan?" she whispered. "What makes my life so precious to you that you would allow Aizen to impale you without giving it a second thought?" _It's all my fault,_ she thought angrily. _It's my fault that he's like this. I'm not worth protecting. _"If you die then I will never forgive myself," she whispered.

As her bitter tears fell onto his face, she began to hum a little song that she had often sung to him in their childhood. Even though he would pretend to not be paying attention when she sang, she knew that he had always listened attentively. At the sound of her voice raised in song, Toshiro stirred a little. "Momo," he whispered, in a voice so soft that it was barely louder than a breath. "Momo…" Her heart beat faster at the sound of her name coming from his mouth, and she let herself feel hope; hope that somehow everything might turn out to be alright.

She held him, singing as if she could anchor him to life with her music.

She was still singing when she saw Minazuki, Unohana-taicho's zanpakuto, in its released form gliding over the desert. As the giant manta-like creature flew closer, Momo saw that there were 2 people sitting on its back. One was Unohana as could be expected. The other was Urahara Kisuke. _That's weird. What's Urahara-san doing here?_

"Unohana-taicho! Urahara-san!" she greeted them as they leapt off of Minazuki. "Thank goodness you're here! Toshiro's in really bad shape and my kido just seems to be sliding off of him!"

Unohana smiled gently. "Don't worry Hinamori-fukutaicho. Urahara-san anticipated this problem and has brought a device that we hope can help us." Urahara was already at the wounded boy's side.

"It is as I feared," the man said, all trace of his usual joviality gone from his voice. "His half-hollow reiatsu will corrupt any kido that you employ on him, making it defunct."

Momo gasped, feeling panic set in again. "But as Unohana-taicho stated, I did manage to create a device that I hope will help," Urahara continued. He produced a small green orb from out of nowhere.

"But isn't that the Hogyoku?" Momo asked, confused.

Urahara beamed. "Correct, Hinamori-san! However, I made a few adjustments. It will now reverse the process of complete fusion, restoring him to his former self and allowing kido to take effect on him."

"What's the catch?" Momo demanded suspiciously.

"Who said anything about a catch?" Urahara said with false cheer.

Momo glared at him. "Earlier, you said that the complete fusion was nearly irreversible. And you only just recovered the Hogyoku. For you to have come up with a solution this suddenly, there has _got_ to be some side effect that you're not telling me about."

Urahara sighs. "Well, to tell the truth, I'm not sure what effect this will have on him. I'm 99% sure that this will separate him from his inner hollow, thus enabling him to be healed. However, he will still have to deal with the hollow on his own, because I have not yet managed to find a cure for being a Viazard. Normally, I wouldn't be doing this until I was sure of the results, but I was ordered to by old man Yammamoto."

Momo considered this. "Well, Toshiro is strong, he's not going to let his inner hollow defeat him!" she said fiercely.

"I hope for all of our sakes that you are right," the ex-taicho said, placing the orb on top of Toshiro's chest, where it sunk into his skin. Instantly, he was surrounded by an aura of light. It grew so bright that soon all present had to look away. When it dimmed, Toshiro was still lying there. However, the hollow mask that had covered his face had vanished. It now was lying fully formed at his side. The unconscious boy's spiritual pressure was different too; it was fluctuating between the familiar icy reiatsu, and the dark power of a hollow's.

0-0-0

_Hitsugaya opened his eyes. He was in his inner world again, with Hyorinmaru at his side._

"_What happened?" he asked the ice dragon._

"_**You have defeated Aizen, but you still have another challenge ahead of you," **__rumbled his companion.__** "Are you ready?" **_

"_Always."_ _The dragon nodded and began to glow, an icy wind whirling around the frozen plain. When the wind died down, Hitsugaya was holding Hyorinmaru in sword form and another figure was approaching from the distance._

"Hey, Hitsugaya-kun," _Hitsugaya recognized the mocking voice; he had gotten all too familiar with it over the events of the past day. _"Miss me?"

0-0-0

**kinda dull? maybe...but the next chapter will definitely make up for it, i promise!**

**next: the long awaited fight, hitsugaya vs. hollow, who will win?**

**till then...**

**-stormwolf527**


	17. hitsugaya vs hollow

**chapter 17...let the fight begin!**

0-0-0

"Hey, Hitsugaya-kun," Hitsugaya watched his opposite as he sauntered towards him. "Miss me?"

Hitsugaya remained silent as he met the bright golden gaze of the hollow.

"It's been a long time since we've talked face to face, hasn't it?" The hollow-boy's mouth widened into a grin. "And I must say I'm grateful to that old fool Urahara for splitting us apart again. I don't think I could have lasted another minute being combined with you!"

"Acting as one increased both of powers," Hitsugaya responded. "I have no wish to fight you if it can be avoided. Perhaps we could come to another agreement."

""Not a chance," laughed the hollow. "Aizen is dead and our thoughts are separate again, as they should be. You have nothing more to offer me, and you're even more pathetic than I thought you were if you think that by talking to me you can persuade me not to kill you. It is time for me to assume my rightful place as the ruler of this body!"

Hitsugaya nodded as his grip tightened on Hyorinmaru's hilt. "Before, you mentioned an all or nothing fight. If I win, then you'll disappear for good?"

"That's right, but you don't stand a chance against me! So when I win, it'll be you who ceases to exist!"

The pair locked eyes, and then leapt for each other at the exact same moment. Metal clashed on metal as the battle for supremacy began.

0-0-0

Momo's eyes widened. An icy cold wind had picked up the moment Unohana-taicho had finished healing Toshiro's wounds. The unconscious boy started to shake violently as his reiatsu continued to fluctuate.

"What's happening?" she asked Urahara.

The shopkeeper pulled the brim of his hat over his eyes. "The hollow within him has reawakened and is fighting Hitsugaya-kun for control of their body. You might want to stand back, Hinamori-san—it could get dangerous to be around him."

Momo looked up at the ex-taicho fiercely. "It doesn't matter how dangerous it is—I'm staying right by his side!"

0-0-0

"Reign over the frozen heavens, Hyorinmaru!"

"Conquer all, Mizukamimaru!"

The already cool air temperature dropped even more as the dragon of water and ice soared through the air. The hollow used his zanpakuto's powers to create more clones of himself, which all attacked Hitsugaya.

"Face it, Hitsugaya!" the hollow sneered. "There's no way you can defeat me—"

The chain on the end of Hyorinmaru wrapped around one of the clones, while the ice dragon froze another.

"You were saying?" Hitsugaya responded as he attacked in turn. The hollow smirked as he leapt out of the way of the blade. With a wave of his zanpakuto he created a mass of creatures, each with very prominent teeth, claws, or spikes.

The hollow laughed, his maniacal laughter echoing around the frozen plane as his vast army charged at the 10th Division taicho.

_Shit, _cursed Hitsugaya as he evaded multiple strikes. _His shikai is very powerful; I'm not sure how much longer I can keep dodging…_

"You're finished, Hitsugaya!"

Suddenly, there was an explosion of reiatsu. Hitsugaya rose from the throng, wings of ice carrying him above the head of his enemy. A long tail flowed down his back, while more ice covered his feet and arms. The three four-petaled flowers floated above him.

"Daiguren Hyorinmaru!"

"Bankai huh?" the hollow laughed again. "It will make no difference—in the end you will still fall before me, and I will rise to become the lord of all!"

"We'll see about that!" hissed Hitsugaya as he attacked.

0-0-0

Toshiro's body was shaking violently now. As Momo watched through the curtain of falling snow, she saw to her horror that it was shifting back and forth between boy and hollow.

Urahara had unsheathed his zanpakuto. The shopkeeper watched the scene gravely. "I don't want to have to do this, but if it continues I will have no choice but to eliminate him." As he said that, the icy wind grew so powerful that both shinigami were pushed away from the scene.

0-0-0

Even with his bankai, Hitsugaya was still losing the battle. He was down to his last flower and blood was cascading from his many wounds. On the other hand, the hollow was barely injured at all.

"You're so pathetic; I don't need bankai to defeat you!" The hollow sneered as he leapt aside from the ice dragon that flew towards him.

Hitsugaya gritted his teeth as he readied his zanpakuto for another attack.

0-0-0

As Momo watched, she could tell that her beloved friend was losing the battle.

"Shiro-chan!" she cried out. Ignoring Urahara's protests, she ran towards Toshiro. _This can't be happening. I have to go to him. No matter what, I want him to know that I'm right by his side. _She grabbed his hand. "Shiro-chan," she whispered. "Don't give up."

0-0-0

Hitsugaya only had one petal left. Wiping blood from the corner of his mouth, he glared at his nemisis.

"This was almost too easy," laughed his other self.

"_Shiro-chan! Don't give up!" _the familiar voice cut through the wind and snow of the ice plane.

"Momo?" Hitsugaya whispered weakly.

"That's the girl that's always in your thoughts isn't it? The one who you wouldn't leave Las Noches without rescuing." The hollow smiled, revealing all of his teeth. "Maybe when I'm done here, I'll hunt her down and have some fun with her!"

"No!" The hollow looked up. "Stay…away… from…Momo!" At the last word, Hitsugaya's voice erupted into a roar. A new strength seemed to have infused him. Pure power burned in his eyes. He raised his zanpakuto. "Hyorinmaru!" he called, and the ice dragon charged towards the enemy.

Hitsugaya was pouring everything he had into his final attack. _Momo…I won't let him hurt you. Never._

Suddenly, Hyorinmaru burst into flames. Both Hitsugaya and the hollow watched in shock as the dragon swiftly covered the distance between dragon's body was now formed from bright blue flames and the creatures formed by the hollow's zanpakuto shrieked as they were vaporized. The dragon coiled around the hollow, roaring fiercely.

"Impossible—" was the last word that came from the hollow's mouth. Then with a howl of pain, it was gone.

Hitsugaya stared at the transformed dragon in awe as it returned to him. He tentatively reached out a hand, and the icy flames licked at his fingers, both burning hot and freezing cold.

Then he collapsed as blood poured from his body. His wings and tail shattered as his bankai vanished, and the majestic dragon of fire and ice circled once more around him before disappearing as well.

0-0-0

**explainations come next chapter, see you then!**

**-stormwolf527**


	18. in which the title is finally explained

**wow, i can't believe it's been almost 2 months T_T **

**sorry, i've just been overworked and uninspired...**

**but here is chapter 18, the title is explained (somewhat)!**

**it kind of sucks i know, but bear with me ok?**

0-0-0

Hitsugaya opened his eyes again. The familiar plane of ice extended infinitely into the distance.

**I see that you're finally awake.**

Moving his head a little to the side, Hitsugaya could see Hyorinmaru towering over him.

"Hyorinmaru," Hitsugaya replied, acknowledging the dragon. He tried to stand up, but it hurt too much to move. Every single part of him ached. Then his memories rushed back to him. The hollow, their battle, the dragon of fire and ice that he had somehow managed to summon.

"I was about to die, but then you burst into flames…" he said slowly. "How did you do that?"

**It wasn't me, **replied the dragon. **The power came from you.**

"Explain." demanded Hitsugaya.

**The power that you awakened is unique to those who wield a dragon zanpakuto. **Hitsugaya saw pride on the dragon's features. **A dragon is not truly strong until they have something to protect. Some people might search all their lives and never find this. But you found yours.**

In his mind, Hitsugaya saw Momo's gently smiling face.

Hyorinmaru hummed softly. **Yes, she is the one. The one who you would give your life to protect. She is the one who is closest to your heart and so I burned with the fire that she awoke within you.** The draconic zanpakuto paused. **I guess you could call it your dragon's fire. **

Hitsugaya's brain was struggling to take all of the new information in. The power of the heart…the dragon's fire.

**Using this power, you are far stronger than ever before.**

But Hitsugaya barely heard the dragon's words. "Momo! Is she okay?"

**She's fine. You've been unconscious for quite a while, but she hasn't left your side this whole time. She might not have a dragon for a zanpakuto, but she definitely has the passionate heart of one, **Hyorinmaru said approvingly. **But she is worried about you.**

Hitsugaya nodded. "I need to thank her. I couldn't have defeated my hollow without her." he blushed slightly. "And there's something else that I need to tell her."

The dragon smirked. **It's about time.**

The inner world began to swirl around and around as its master slowly began to return to the outside realm.

0-0-0

When the world came back into focus, the first thing that he saw was a pair of worried brown eyes staring into his. "Shiro-chan! You're awake!" She started to cry silently, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I don't know what I would have done without you…I'm so glad that you came back to me, Toshiro."

He smiled gently at her. "I told you that I would, didn't I?" He drunk in the sight of her, frowning at her pale skin and tear-filled eyes. "Have you been taking care of yourself?"

She glared at him. "You always worry about me! But look what happened to you, you almost died! You always get hurt because of me." Her voice dropped. "I'm not worth protecting."

"Baka," he whispered. "Of course you are. You mean everything to me. You should know by now that I will always protect you, Momo." He loved the sound of her name on his tongue. "You're the one who is closest to my heart." He remembered what Hyorinmaru had said. "The source of my dragon's fire."

She looked quizzically at him. "Dragon's fire?"

"I'll explain later," promised Hitsugaya. "But first, there's something that I always wanted to do."

He reached out, even though his bandaged arms were sore and pulled her towards him.

Then, gently but firmly, he kissed her.

After a second of hesitation, she responded, and their kiss built up in passion until they had to break away. They looked into each other's eyes, their hearts racing as one.

Momo was both happy and surprised. Ecstatic that he was all right of course, but astonished because she had never known that he was such a good kisser.

Hitsugaya was happy too. He had Momo in his arms and the taste of her still on his lips. He had thought that the taste of watermelon was the sweetest on earth. But he had never been happier to be proven wrong.

0-0-0

**horrible? i don't think that the last scene came out the way i wanted it to, but i was getting sick of looking at it...**

**reviews feed my inspiration-starved brain!**

**till next time,**

**-stormwolf527**


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